Complicated Souls
by Isrea Ishiida
Summary: Evil stirs in a land to the east. The Lifestream revives a pair of troublemakers. The planet's Guardians are gathering... What does all this mean? Reno and Cloud must learn to work together to decipher their dreams before it’s too late! Reno x Cloud. R&R?
1. Beginnings

Beginning Notes:  Well, this is a slightly altered version of my first submission of this chapter. I didn't like the way a few of the things flowed, edited small details, and added a whole scene to the end part. I think the chapter flows MUCH better now. To all my readers, thanks for popping open my story to read it. Don't mind the endless paragraphs of Disclaimers and Story warnings. It'll ONLY be in the first chapter, so no worries. Read the Summery though, if you want some kind of idea of what the story is going to be about. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

_Disclaimer:  _I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, cities, creations, or their ideas. I do not get money or make profit from this fan fiction. This is just a fan fiction written for personal enjoyment and the enjoyment of readers.

_Story Warning:_  This is a Yaoi fan fiction and contains swearing and extreme violence. Yaoi means guy on guy, so if any of this offends you or you are under age please turn back now. The pairing is Reno x Cloud. If you are not offended and are above age, then please sit back and enjoy. This is rated mostly for excessive language and extreme violence. Keep a watch on the chapter warnings to know what all will be in what chapter. Enjoy!

**_Summary of the story: _**

Two years after the fall of Meteor the proud city of Midgar is being rebuilt and ShinRa restored under the careful watch of the new President Reeve. The world is once again on its feet and life is good for the common people. Most of the members of Avalanche have gone back to their homes and buried the past behind them, forgetting about Sephiroth and Meteor or the disaster two years ago to concentrate on the now and helping restore the damage done to the world. Even the Turks have found a quiet little place in the world and are happy, or most of them anyway.

But in the little town of Kalm a certain red haired Turk contemplates why he let Cloud escape from Midgar back when Hojo had tried to fire the Sister Ray, and meets a strange little girl named Isrea who she puts him on a path he hadn't intended to take. Meanwhile, Cloud has a strange dream concerning an even stranger little girl who tells of a future threat and he sets out to discover the truth of the vision... And what happens when the Lifestream takes a turn for the worst in desperation and revives a certain pair of Ex-Soldiers to throw into the mix? Both Reno and Cloud soon discover one thing.

**Trouble is brewing.**

A great evil is stirring in an uncharted land far to the east, with a dark purpose all its own, just waiting for the right time to strike... A new battle is about to begin for the planet and old enemies must unite or fall against this new power...

All the pieces are in place and the board has been set. Fate is ready to play its game. But one question still remains:

**Can old grudges be put aside long enough to conquer this foe? Or will foolish pride destroy them all?******

Inspired by: The song "May It Be"****

**--=Complicated Souls=--**

---Written by: Isrea--- 

**--=Chapter One=--**

---Beginnings---

It was dark. But then it was always dark in the depths of his own mind. And yet he always came back to look, drawn in to his thoughts with a never ending _need_, a longing that ached through his heart and soul. A longing for answers to questions he had not yet asked, and questions for the answers he already had. It made no senses, and he could only perceive it as madness.

Was he going insane?

No. He had seen what insane people were like. Had felt their vengeance and wrath on countless occasions. No, he was defiantly not insane…

So what then? If he was not falling into the rapid spirals of insanity then what was claiming him? What was this nonsense that invaded his thoughts and dreams and left every moment of his life, be it awake or asleep, in silent torment? What ached within his heart and mind in emptiness? Something in the back of his mind throbbed with the answer but he could not yet see it, let alone reach it. And yet despite this lack of ability to see the answer his mind made attempts to show him anyway. His thoughts always focused on one thing by the end of these ever-constant sessions to beat out answers, on one man alone. And by the end he was as confused then as he had been when he had started, if not a bit more frustrated…

Cloud Strife. 

His thoughts raced with questions again, wrapping around the invisible form of the spiky, blond haired man before his mind's eye. His handsome, almost youthful face was always hovering just out of his vision, etched in his memory as finely detailed as a portrait. Indeed the man was a sight with his golden blond hair and cerulean eyes, broad shoulders with yet a slender build, stomach, arms, legs and chest chiselled to honest-to-planet perfection. He was so strong and untouchable, a flesh and blood god with those blue eyes that could make any man cower beneath their mako glow…

Why was he thinking this idiocy? He shook himself mentally. This was not the first time and would certainly not be the last. He could not deny what he was feeling but could not explain it either and most certainly could not name it properly… Was he _lusting_ after _Strife?_ He had long ago realized he swung 'that way', but to lust after his enemy? After the very man he had attempted to kill on any number of occasions? The very man who had taken on the great Sephiroth and survived? 

The very man he couldn't stand?

The very man he couldn't stop himself from thinking about…

The laughter of children rang out around him but he took no notice of their squeals of delight. Talk and babble of every conceivable type flittered through his ears; merchants, workers, housewives and the like going about their daily business as though they had all the time in the world, and yet not the time to trouble themselves with the thoughts of a man they all feared and hated. He was alone here, more so now than before. His comrades had left on a weeklong trip, ungraciously leaving him behind. But they would be back soon, most likely today. They were probably on their way already, he told himself again, as he had done repeatedly for the past three hours.

Time changes people, its said. And anyone who was to look at him now would definitely see a change. Time had done its work on him well. Currently he was standing in the centre of town wearing a pair of loose, faded blue jeans and a black sleeveless shirt, his red hair tied back at the nape of his neck in a much neater tail then usual. The toe of one of his black Dockers tapped lightly on the ground, his legs crossed at the ankle as he stood leaning against the wooden pillar. A lone silver hoop glinted in his ear, a recent addition to his otherwise intimidating appearance. His lean body was well toned, his arms and shoulders much more muscular then what they had been. His eyes, a deep sea green, were much more clear then they ever had been. The only real things that had really stayed the same were the twin scars beneath his eyes, planted expertly on his high cheekbones.

They had come to Kalm right after the destruction of Midgar looking for work. Of course they found little. Neo-Midgar was being built in place of old Midgar, Reeve the president of Neo-ShinRa, the now mako-free company. One night he had gotten a phone call; the owner and operator of Caith Sith had wanted them to work for the company again. He had grinned and accepted. 

Reeve, although organized and well thought of, just did not have the leadership skills that Rufus ShinRa had had, or old man ShinRa had had, for that matter. It had taken quite a while to get things operational again. He did his best though and the company was back on its feet, as was the city. It had been two years since Meteor had fallen and failed and the reconstruction of the world had begun… Two long years of being hated wherever he went, scorned and his name cursed right in front of him… No one had dared do such a thing to his face when he was a Turk; at least he had not had to listen to it day in and day out back then. He would return to Midgar at the end of the week, as would his friends with him, and they would all go back to their lives as before. He would not have to endure their taunts any longer. Once the Turk badge was restored to his name people would cease to bother him. He anticipated that moment with every fibre of his being.

Except now things were different. On top of the obvious Turk related duties the Turks now worked for Reeve as his go-betweens, dealing with a lot of the day-to-day work of the restoration. They also happened to handle a bit of the peace negotiations between the newly independent country of Wutai, since Avalanche couldn't do it because of that brat Yuffie being an influence with them. Truly, it wasn't surprising though. They might have been killers but they always got the job done, no matter what it was. And this was no different a situation. Besides, the Wutainese people respected the Turks, at least as much as can be expected when dealing with ShinRa related personnel. 

A sigh escaped his thin pressed lips as he pulled the white cylinder from his mouth and let it rest idly between index finger and thumb, before throwing it to the cement beneath his feet and grinding his heel into the butt. He sighed again; watching indifferently as the ashes of the cigarette gently blew away under the treatment of the cool breeze, the glowing embers fading to nothing but a distant memory on the wind. Much like himself in a way. It almost caused him to laugh at the bitter irony of the situation.

"Dark, dark blue. Sadness. And grey too, swirling within that blue. Loneliness…"

Reno Sinclair snapped out of his momentary retrieve, green eyes settling on the form of the little girl standing before him. She wore a simple dress of pink that hung down to her ankles, plain in every way, and brown leather sandals. Her rich chocolate colored hair fell just past her shoulders and she looked to be no older then that of ten or eleven. A plain girl by anyone's standards and hardly even seen when in a crowd.

But oh, those eyes!

Sparkling jade met and held his gaze, green swirling within those endless depths, alight with some kind of inner power that made them glow without the tint of mako. He was entranced, as though looking away would break the magic that those eyes held. But he did look away once memory reminded him of the softly spoken words in a tiny girlish voice that held only happiness and understanding.

"What?" he answered lamely in response.

"Your soul. Sad and lonely... I can see it." The little girl replied as though her words were the most natural thing in the world.

"My… soul?"

She only smiled.

He shook his head to clear it, having not realized that all his attention was focused on this girl until just then. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you so sad, mister?"

Reno started at her words, unprepared for the question. He fumbled for something to say, his lips moving to form words, sputtering nonsense for a moment. Finally he gave up and said nothing. He didn't know who this girl was -he hadn't seen her in Kalm before, ever- and yet he felt relaxed in her presence. It was like just having her stand next to him was enough to make everything good in the world, make everything right. He felt like he could talk to her, trust her. It was kind of like talking to an old friend who'd been away for a really, really long time.

"Well?" she prodded.

"Why do you care?" the red head asked after a moment of silence.

The girl's happy smile dampened into a small pout and he was immediately sorry he had made her frown, her cute face drawn up in a moment of seriousness. "Just because I believe that good people, with good hearts, shouldn't be sad..."

Good people… with good hearts? 

The Turk shook his head and snorted in amusement. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else sweetie, why don't you go play with the rest of the kids?"

The girl shook her head furiously, soft brown hair swaying about her shoulders as she did so. Then her gaze fixed upon him again and she spoke quietly. "Pale green… doubt. You doubt, but its okay."

His eyes widened ever so slightly, red eyebrows raising a fraction at her words. She could read him like a book! She had been doing so for the last couple minutes he realized with awe struck wonder… What was this all about? "What do you want?"

She simply smiled and said: "To know why you are sad." 

Reno watched the girl silently from his perch against the wooden pillar –the same pillar that held up the water tower in the centre of town- contemplating… What did he have to lose by telling this little girl? What did he have to lose at all? It sounded crazy, he knew it did, but… "Could we… move over there?" One index finger pointed to the left where a bench was hidden well away from the crowds under a small overhang, alone and unused and set far back between the buildings. They could talk there without being overhead.

The girl nodded and grabbed a hold of Reno's hand before the man could react. She held it in a firm grip and led him over to the bench indicated, the red head moving where she led, astonishment ruling out all thought of pride for the brief time it took. They sat, the girl and the Turk, for a moment in silence on that wooden bench. Reno focused on the thinning crowd before him and fought on how to begin as the girl watched his inner struggle intently. With an unnerving feeling and a glance her way Reno got the feeling she could see his soul, could look straight into his heart and see right through his façade... 

And maybe she very well could…

His emerald gaze shifted back to the crowd in front of him. "It all started two and a half years ago…-" And so it began. He didn't know why, or how, but he suddenly found himself talking –unable or unwilling to stop his own words. "-With a woman named Aeris Gainsborogh… and a man named Cloud Strife"

"Aeris… Gainsborogh, Cloud… Strife..." The girl nodded, and urged him to go on with a gesture of the hand.

"I am a very bad man, you should understand. I did a lot of mean things… lots of bad things-" he missed the girls pointed stare and soft shake of head. "-And one day I was ordered to go to this church and capture this woman named Aeris. Well, Strife was there, and-…"

And so he told his tale to the girl, each word bringing back memories he had long since buried and emotions he had long thought forgotten. The girl listened carefully to every sentence -caught every detail and understood it, and asked about it if she didn't. Gradually as they went on in their conversation he began to loosen up, began to relax more and more, and he spoke often of the good times. Of Elena and Rude, drinking together, handing out or shooting pool. Of Rufus ShinRa, his long deceased friend. And Tseng, the closest thing to a father he had ever had. And he spoke of the bad times, of the sorrows of death, the stains on his hands, his pain, his loneliness…

And she listened. She listened to all of it. And in a way that was the best feeling he had ever had. Maybe all he had ever wanted in life was for someone to just sit down and listen to him. On second thought, maybe it wasn't, but that was a feeling he would never ever forget…

"And when we met them last in the tunnels of Midgar they were on their way to defeat Hojo and deactivate the cannon to stop his plans, and we were ordered to kill them. But when the time came… when we stood across from them, ready to do battle… I… couldn't. I felt something and…  I couldn't do it. I didn't know why at the time and perhaps I still don't but I couldn't kill him then" he sighed softly. "I couldn't fight the man who called himself Cloud Strife and fought for a cause so much more noble then mine…" he bowed his red haired head. "I ordered a retreat under the false idea that I owed him one for helping save Elena. I even tricked myself into believing that for a time." The red haired Turk paused a moment and took a shaky breath, filling his lungs with calming air. "We left Midgar and I never saw him again. He disappeared to fight Sephiroth and I never found out where he went after that. I know he is alive somewhere but I don't want to see him… and yet I do. I feel something, there is no mistake about that, but I don't know what. I think its lust… I have questions that I need answers to, and I have answers that don't fit any of my questions. I don't want to talk to Elena or Rude. They might understand me, I'm sure Rude would, but… Its… frustrating." His muscles were tight and his fists clenched as he spoke, almost willing to break down in hysterics at the unfairness of it all. Something he had never, ever allowed himself the luxury of doing. 

The little girl put one of her small hands on his knee and he looked over into her smiling face. Her gaze was instantly calming and he began to relax again, unsure of why he had just spilled his guts to this unknown girl. He didn't understand why he had said anything to her at all… but he was content, and he felt as though a great weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. Hell, he felt more relaxed and thought out then he had in years. Maybe just sitting down and sorting all of this out was all that he had needed? He certainly felt a bit better.

She patted his knee before removing her hand. "Deep blue, a great sorrow. Dense grey, aching loneliness. Luring violet, endless longing. Rosy pink, a vast tenderness…" she cocked her head to the side, jade eyes blinking up at him. "And something else… Something buried beneath the rest, something hidden… You have such a colourful soul…"

Reno paused only a second to search the girls eyes before asking in a whisper so low that he was amazed she heard it; "What do you see?" He wasn't even sure he knew why he had asked it.

The girl smiled softly. "Gold…"

"Gold? What-"

"Reno!"

His head turned at the sound of his name, the high-spirited woman's voice unmistakable, and his sea green eyes watched Elena and Rude come toward him from across the street in a walk that was slow and unhurried. Both wore jeans, Rude's more faded then the blonde's at his side. Rude still wore his Turk jacket over a white t-shirt, as did Elena over a black one with the words "Army Chick" scrawled across the chest in glitter. Reno had left his at home today, not wanting to be even more signalled out while his comrades had been away, but he too wore the navy jacket most of the time. Elena had her hair longer now a days, blonde locks falling down her back in a very neat ponytail. She was surprisingly pretty with long hair. Rude had, like always, a clean-shaven head. A scurry at his side brought his attention back to the girl who was on her feet and walking away even as he turned. He called out to her and she turned back to him, jade depths levelling softly with his own gaze.

"What's your name?" he asked just loud enough that she would be the only one to hear.

The girl smiled, a beaming grin crossing over her features. "Isrea! Isrea Tashada!" she cocked her head to the side, and asked in return; "What's yours?"

He let a smirk play across his lips as he answered. "Reno Sinclair."

The girl known as Isrea smiled, clapped her hands before her chest happily, then turned on her heel and darted off into the crowded sidewalk. She disappeared from his vision almost immediately.

"Who was that?" Elena asked as she came up to the bench, blue eyes darting after the already gone little girl in pink. Reno shrugged and answered with a single name, his perplexed expression evidence of his knowledge, or lack thereof.

"Isrea."

Rude shook his head and peered down at the sitting form of Reno over the top of his shades. "Not going to ask... Anyway, we've been looking for you."

The red head raised one crimson eyebrow in question at his bald friend and Elena continued, picking up Rude's sentence where he left it off -old habits die hard he guessed. "We just got back from Corel and everything is up and running again. It took a long two years but Reeve managed to pull it off with such a low budget. The town looks as good as new. The Gold Saucer is as good as ever, too. Not much changes there anyway. Anything on this end?"

Reno shrugged. "Reeve's fossil fuels and solar power energy plan is working out surprisingly well. The budgets have been lower then normal this month, though I'm assured its not serious. With the mako reactors gone its been tight but we've managed to pull through, like usual. I'll tell you about the Wutai progress later."

Rude piped up a moment later, speaking the question that was on everyone's mind now a days. "Any sign of Avalanche lately?"

Reno shook his head and, standing lazily, brushed a hand through his hair. "None. They've taken to running things behind the scenes. With all the publicity they have its not surprising. Avalanche is famous, after all. If Cloud were to suddenly show his spiky head in public-" and Reno kind of wished he would "-He'd probably be hit with a storm of fan girls before actually getting anything productive done." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. 

Cloud and his gang had lain low from the beginning of the reconstruction, opting to help from the shadows and not get to heavily involved. They wanted the people to see they could count on and trust the new Neo-ShinRa Inc, rather then rely on the heroes who had saved them all from Sephiroth and Meteor. Or so the Turks had been told.

A sly grin then passed over his features as the conversation took on a lighter note, his nose crinkling in the ever-familiar way. His eyes flashed with a teasing glint and he rubbed his hands together expectantly.

"So, what did you bring me?" and he reached for the previously unnoticed bag on Elena's arm.

"I'm not telling!" teased the blonde, clutching the bag to her chest and taking a step back from the advancing Turk. She swatted his hand away and grinned, taking yet another step back until she was out of the small closed in alley.

"Aw, common 'Lena!" the red head made another attempt for the bag and she gasped and tried to dodge again. This time, it wasn't too successful and he managing to snag one of its handles with his fingers. With a triumphant cry he tugged, but she refused to _let go, _holding on to the bag as though her life depended on it.

" 'Leggo, Reno!!" she half laughed out, swinging her whole body around until the red head came with her, stumbling at the sudden and unexpected movement. She took this opportunity to swat his hand again, this time a lot harder, and cracked his knuckles with a _good_ one. 

With a "yeowch!" from Reno and a giggle from Elena she tore off down the street with his 'present' in hand. Rude looked on, more than amused at the two's behaviour and contemplating joining the fun. But then, just sitting back and watching was enough to make him grin ear to ear already. 

"That hurt Elena! When we get home your sooooo paying for that!"

Reno caught up with her a couple streets from the small house they owned and chased her for a while, Elena still booking it down the street as fast as her legs could carry her, laughing at him all the way. She was admittedly faster then Reno was and managed to stay out of arms reach the entire time. The 'present' remained clutched to her chest the entire time.

Again Rude watched on from behind them, letting out a chuckle as Reno chased the only female Turk down the street. The crowd had thinned enough that they had a clear pathway, but he still couldn't catch her. The red head's next shout nearly caused the bald Turk to burst out laughing in the middle of the street.

"Why do I only have trouble with _blondes!"_

**---To Be Continued---**

Author's Notes:

1. Well, I was inspired to write this story after hearing the song "May it be" for about the tenth time one night, got a few ideas and was considering a plot when I said to myself, "Well, there aren't many Reno x Cloud fics out there that are any good, so I'd better get writing!" and well, this whole story line popped outta my head immediately, so I figured "Why not" and got down to it. I hope you all liked the first chapter; the next will develop the plot a bit, though not by much I think. I hope you are all patient with me through the first couple of chapters, I'm relatively new at this! ^_^;;

2. But other then that, that turned out better then I expected. I'm actually pretty proud of that chapter, considering my normal writing, though it was kind of long… but not THAT long... I'm honestly not sure how long my other chapters will be, longer or shorter depends on my mood I guess, and how motivated I am.  So send me emails guys and gals! ^_^

3.  Comments/suggestions and hate mail can be sent to AdinaWolf_X@hotmail.com I would like to hear from my readers about what they think so send those emails everyone! Please no flaming though. I did my best!  ^_^;; 

4. And for those who don't know: "May It Be" is a Lord of the Rings song played in the credits of the first movie, and I think it is available on the sound track. (I'm not sure though.) It's a beautiful song sung by a woman, telling about hope in the darkness. It's very nice. I recommend buying the sound track.


	2. Awakenings

Beginning Notes: Hey all! Sorry for this being so late -*ducks behind the door to not get hit by flying, sharp, pointy objects*- ahem, anyway… My personal life is been pretty busy and my teachers are practically smothering me in schoolwork so I don't know when the next update will be but hopefully soon. Thanks to you reviewers for your nice comments! 

Alright you all know the deal. I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda…

Ahem… now, on to the fanfic…

_Chapter Warning:_  Angst based chapter. This is rated mostly for excessive language and minor violence.

-=Complicated Souls=- ---Written by: Isrea--- 

**-=Chapter Two=-**

---Awakenings---

Fire… 

_Screaming…_

_Blood…_

Death… 

It all flashed before his eyes in a jumble of memory. Images of people he did not recognize but should have flashed before his red-clouded vision. Blurred images dulled with the passage of time and horror struck faces clear as crystal etched into his memory -his mind unable to let him forget. Fire raged around him as he picked his way through the rubble of the once beautiful town of Nibelheim, which was now only a burning ruin in his nightmares. The sky above burned crimson, the clouds alight with orange flame. All around him red was smeared on walls and pavement stone. Sephiroth's doing… He didn't really want to think about that right now, though he had little choice. This was a dream. He knew it was a dream because he'd been having the same dream for nearly three weeks straight. Any little bit of sleep always spawned this hellish prison. Every time he closed his eyes he saw it flickering across his minds eye… But that did not dull the reality of it. It still hurt; still pained as much as it had the first time he had seen all this in reality… He reached bend in the road just before the Mansion, stumbled to a stop and watched in horror at the scene that unfolded before his eyes.

Before him the Masamune rose and glinted wickedly in the firelight, the sharp blade winking at him almost tauntingly. But it did not rise to strike him, no. The image and setting abruptly changed to that of the Mount Nibel Reactor and the mighty weapon fell down upon his best friend Zack. And it fell hard… without warning and without mercy…

He winced, feeling the bite of the sword as though it was he who had been struck by Sephiroth's blade and not Zack. And in an indirect way, he had. The death of his best friend pained heavily on his soul. Zack had been more then a friend, more then a best friend. Zack had been family… They were like brothers. Closer then brothers even. But now that Zack was dead Cloud was alone again, without family and without a home… All he had was his friends and he distanced himself from even them now, afraid that he may end up losing them one day either in battle or something alike it. He was afraid they would leave him, or worse, betray him if they were to ever fully understand how mentally screwed up he was… He would not have been able to stand that, knew he couldn't…

These things always accompanied the dream -the thoughts and images of betrayal that flashed through his mind. He always began to think this way toward the middle of the dream but could not help himself from doing it once more. He told himself over and over again that it was just the dream talking, but still he felt the lingering doubt. Even beyond the grave Sephiroth's illusions tormented him. The blond figured it would probably never truly go away. His mind had been too scared from the incident… His mental state, shaky at best before, was now in total uproar as the images and fake corpses littered around him stirring up old feelings, old hatreds, old memories…

Zack had not died there though… no. Hojo had then captured the two of them and experimented on them for nearly five years. Five years of fucking hell. Five years of tortured screaming and hopeless nights. The same five years he had begun to remember right after Sephiroth had died at his hands. Five whole years of pain and of needles and scalpels and test tubes and wires, of chemicals and white washed rooms that smelled of mako… And Zack had saved him from all that. Only to die for his troubles…

Sometimes, some things are best left forgotten…

Stumbling to the right he caught himself on the ledge of a broken wall and clung to the rubble for the strength to stand, involuntary sobs shaking his blue clad body as he sucked in a breath to try and calm himself. Even if this wasn't real right now… even if this was all fake at the moment…

It _had_ happened. Nibelheim _had_ burned. Zack _had_ died…

And it was entirely _his_ fault!

He had failed.

He was a failure…

Guilt piled atop his already emotionally loaded mind and slowly the blond warrior collapsed against the wall, turning to press his back into the crumbled brick and sliding down it slowly. The ShinRa guard uniform did little to comfort his back against the scrapping stone and as he sat he drew his knees up to his chest in misery. Unshed tears gathered in his eyes and his face screwed up into an expression of impossible pain and suffering as something snapped within him; just like it always did in the dream. The pain broke loose and flooded his senses without restraint, drowning out all logic and reason as sorrow washed over him. He could feel hot tears spilling down his cheeks and made a half-hearted attempt to wipe them away. It wasn't very successful.

He let out a pained howl-like cry of remorse, hands clenching into fists as they beat the ground at his sides relentlessly, causing minor fissures to appear in the surface of the stone beneath his gloved hands.

"Damnit!!" His voice shouted over the crackling flames in rage and sorrow and he turned and thrust his fist into the very wall he was leaning on, embedding the gloved limb four inches into the thick stone. A spray of rock and dust was sent flying in every direction. "It's my fault! It's all my fault!! Mom! Tifa! Aeris! Zack! Sephiroth! Everything is my fucking fault!!"

He mourned Sephiroth, although he knew the rest of his group hated the man. She had forced Sephiroth into insanity when he had allowed her into his mind in a moment of weakness and then she had used his insanity against him. But Sephiroth himself had been under Jenova's control, he had been manipulated! It hadn't been Sephiroth in mind, only in body. Jenova's vile presence had filled in the rest. And above all, Cloud understood that.  But even so it did not make it any easier to deal with. Nor did it help him in addressing the subject of Sephiroth himself. A rage smouldered in the depths of his soul that cried out even now for vengeance. He could no longer feel anything more then a simmering hate for the man who had destroyed his life. At least, he thought he could never forgive, but… somewhere in the back of his mind he was reminded of a far away day… A day when three friends had sat around under the noonday sun and told of their hopes and dreams. A day when one man's laughter rang out above all the rest, pure and joyful, the other two friends -as close as brothers they were- joining in with similar tones. He was reminded of the good old days… 

He had done what he had to do for the planet. He had made the _right_ choice!

Then why did it hurt so goddamn much? What ever happened to the good old days, anyway?

He had pieces of Zack inside him; of that there was no doubt. Hojo's experiments had not left him unscratched. But even with part of his best friend inside him he felt empty and very much _alone._ After Sephiroth had been defeated down in the northern creator and Jenova finally destroyed Cloud had begun to remember his past. He remembered that he had been a trooper in platoon 34. He also remembered that he had been an expert with the broadsword and a lethal specialist in advanced tactics. He had been the strategist in the group as well as the materia major. No one could come up with as effective and quick combinations of materia then he could. In fact, during trooper training he had even been placed in charge of handing out and dealing with the materia specifically because of his amazing skill with the stuff, even though there had been two other materia majors in his platoon. He remembered Bill, Rick and Ray, his three trooper friends extremely well. They had been the only three of the Regulars to stick by with the shy, untrusting young blond that went by the name Cloud Strife. And then there was Zack, who had taken an interest in him after a chance meeting at the ShinRa building while he was on escort duty. Something about the young boy must have fascinated the SOLDIER second in command enough to look up on him from time to time, and then more and more frequently they talked, until Zack had practically declared it to the entire barracks that Cloud Strife was hanging around with SOLDIER's second most powerful man by picking him up after duty one day for a regular men's night out, SOLDIER style. Right in front of the entire barracks.

And that had been when he had met _him._

And since that day the three of them had never been apart. Both Zack and Sephiroth seemed to think that Cloud's failure to get into SOLDIER had been solely due to the fact that he had incompetent instructors testing him. According to the two of them, Cloud was exactly what SOLDIER wanted and needed. He had begun training with Zack during the early part of the day under specific orders from Sephiroth –who you _did not_ cross if you valued your life and your job- and soon he was ready for a retest.

But that retest had never come. Instead he had been sent with his two friends to Nibelheim on a mission. And from there?… Everyone knew _that_ story already.

He realized two things all at once right then. That thinking about the good times hurt, and that he had never before actually sat back and _thought_ about the good times. It seemed so long ago, so distant, as though it wasn't even him at all in those infrequent flashbacks. But it still _hurt _like him, damnit_._

A steady stream of tears fell unchecked down the blond fighters face, streaking dust covered skin with lines of liquid that only served to mar it further. He didn't care nor made any attempt to wipe them away this time. All he did was bury his face in his hands, fingers digging through dirt clogged blond locks and blood caked scalp -he had fallen and hit his head some time ago- and cried. Really, truly cried.

"Black, the color of night. Deep morning, impossible sorrows, depression, self blame…"

The voice was not mocking but understanding and kind. It was a child's voice, soft and gentle against the noise of the crackling flames and crumbling town. Amidst the tortured screams of the town folk it called out to him, seeming to banish the darkness with its softly spoken words and Cloud looked up slowly. Before him stood a little girl that could not have been more then ten or eleven years old of age... She wore a plain pink dress, brown leather sandals and her light brown hair fell just below the shoulders. She was as plain as any girl who had lived in Nibelheim so long ago that she fit into the scenery nicely –even red stained and smoke choked as it was.

But her eyes were an entirely different story. Deep green so intense that even mako could not compete with their glow. They were sparkling jade depths that were endless…. For quite a while he just stared into those cool green depths, feeling the shudders grow more infrequent and the sobs eventually ceased entirely. He could feel himself being lifted away from the spiral of self-pity, away from the path that the dream had normally taken.

This was certainly new…

Cloud sniffed silently and wiped at his tears with a dirt stained arm, causing a long streak of black to cross his face as he did so, but successfully banishing the liquid from his eyes. He could not bring himself to say anything. Not yet, not just yet.

That seemed to suit the girl just fine for she took a tiny step forward and spoke again, "None of this was your fault, you know." a wide eyed Cloud merely stared back as she continued. "None of this has ever been your fault. Don't be sad over something that you had absolutely no control over." She smiled at him -a calm and reassuring smile. "Sephiroth was manipulated, and maybe it's his fault for succumbing to darkness so easily. Maybe its Professor Gast's fault for tampering with Jenova cells to create Sephiroth, or Vincent's for not stopping him. Or maybe its ShinRa's fault for ordering it to be done in the first place… But…" and she paused here for a moment before continuing on, stepping up close to him and squatting down until she was eye level with the blond warrior. "Its far from ever being _your_ fault, Cloud Strife."

"B-but…" he managed to get out after a moment of calming himself. Right now he felt like the shy, confused, scared teenager that he had once been back in Nibelheim. "I should have stopped it! I should have talked to Seph when I noticed something was wrong! But I didn't! Sephiroth only found out about that room in the basement because of over-curious-doesn't-know-not-to-touch-things _me!_ And then Zack died because he was carrying _me_ to safety!" it all came out in a rush of breath, his tear choked voice raspy and his throat tight. "I wish I had never found that door!"

 "You did nothing to trigger this or anything that followed. That room was bound to be discovered, be it by you or any other in your party. He would have found it eventually, simply because all this was _fated_ to happen. Because it did one of the planets biggest adversaries was finally destroyed. Unfortunately, though, fate chose you to open that door -and it also chose you to correct it. And correct it you did. You saved the world, Cloud. You did what you had to do, and you did it well. Jenova is dead once and for all and finally, thanks to you, the planet can begin to heal. So don't you cry for this town. Don't you cry for Vincent's or Nibelheim's or ShinRa's faults. Don't cry for something that you couldn't stop. And don't cry for Zack or Sephiroth… I don't think they would have wanted you to be sad… I know I wouldn't…"

The words struck home like no other thing ever had. Maybe it had been the way she had softly uttered them, but they pierced past the fog of guilt and pain and opened his eyes for the final time to the truth. It wasn't his fault. It just wasn't his fault. He had done what he had to do. No matter what the cause or casualty –and there had been casualties- he had seen it though to the end. There was nothing he could do or say in light of the strange girl's words but sit there and stare into her green eyes long and hard. The light and warmth he saw there melted the darkness around his heart like ice to the flame and with a strangled cry Cloud threw his arms around the girl's shoulders and embraced her tightly, sobbing once again. Not for the past this time but for himself. For himself and for the friends he had lost, on both sides. Willingly the girl in pink hugged him in return, rubbing his back softly and cooing words like "It'll be okay" and "It's over now" into his ear. 

The pair stayed that way until the older of the two had cried himself out, unable to do more then that and certainly not wanting to. Finally regaining what was left of his tattered wits he drew back, blinking rapidly to focus his vision. The girl drew back as well, stood and rocked back on her heels slightly. She tilted her head to the side with a look that said plainly 'are you going to be okay?' and for the first time in a long, long while, Cloud Strife smiled. With that simple gesture she smiled back  -a bright, beaming smile that shattered the rest of the darkness surrounding him like a million rays of light never could. Though, he knew it would be back another night. But at least tonight, if only for a brief moment, he could finally rest.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Isrea."

And with a start Cloud realized he was no longer in the broken town of Nibelheim. On all sides a vast field sprung out around him, flowers of all conceivable types and colors stretching off into an endless horizon of fairy-tale beauty. Their bright, sun touched pedals swayed with movement on the wind and bushed his body, silky soft against his skin. The deep grass rose up and tickled his arms and legs along with the flowers. Above him the sun shone golden against the pale clouds and pink sakura pedals danced in the wind merrily, sweeping happily in wide arcs. The aroma of the flower field was so strong and so dazzling that he found that he was awe struck at its magnificence. And for a moment, just a brief moment, he felt that all was right in the world. The not-quite spring breeze ruffled through his golden hair, cooling his brow and neck, and Cloud found himself closing his eyes against its feel and shivering in delight at its touch. It had been a very long time since he had stopped to feel the wind on his face, and even longer still since that he had felt quite so at peace.

A quiet voice weaved its way into his thoughts, bringing his attention back to the little girl standing next to him. "I have something very important to tell you, Cloud." Isrea began softly "Something that you absolutely need to know."

She spoke with such a calm sort of urgency that Cloud forced his attention on her, wondering what could possibly be so important in a place like this, so wonderful and peaceful. And then it occurred to him that he had not questioned this girl's presence at all. Not once had he looked into Isrea's eyes and felt anything but a quiet sort of familiarity. Not once had he had any hesitance about spilling his emotions out in front of her. Before he could ponder this more she began again however, now speaking almost hurried.

"The Day of Darkening is at hand, Cloud. The threat of old stirs from its slumber far to the east." His full attention was ensnared immediately. "The Keeper of Chaos knows no bounds and once again threatens to engulf this world with his darkness. You must not let this come to pass…"

Cloud turned that over slowly, absorbing everything the girl was saying. In a small voice he answered only with "What should I do?" What else could he say under her intense stare?

"Seek out the Vassals of Light for only with their help will you be able to face the Apostles of Darkness."

Cloud blinked in surprise. "Who are they? The Vassals of Light? The Apostles of Darkness?"

"The Apostles of Darkness are the twelve servants of the Keeper of Chaos. He is their lord and master and commands everything they do. They will come into our world soon and take all the light away. All that is good and kind will fade in face of them. They are darkness, Cloud. Demons of chaos spawned by the Keeper himself. They are his twelve generals." The girl sat down beside him, plucking a flower from the bed beneath them and twirling it in her fingers. "They are death." Somehow, the vision of a ten-year-old girl playing with a flower and so loosely speaking of horrors beyond the horizon did not fit well into the same picture.

"And the Vassals of Light? Who are they?"

"I cannot tell you directly. I am not allowed to do so. But I can leave you with some words of guidance. I can recite to you a song told through the ages. It is of the Vassals of Light and their purpose. Hear me, for this is a prophecy also, sung among us through the ages. It is very important you remember my words, Cloud…"

The blond warrior merely nodded and leaned closer.

Isrea took his hand and firmly placed the white daisy in his fist, closing his gloved fingers around the stem. Slowly she began to recite a poem, her musical voice echoing oddly in his ears as the tune caught on the wind and carried throughout the fantasy realm of flowers and sun touched grass. It might have been his imagination but he thought he saw, just for a moment, the briefest flicker of green on the distant horizon. His thoughts were immediately brought back to the words the girl recited, however, her voice lifted in gentle song:

_"Twelve there were but now six there are,_

_to face the  darkness growing._

_Each one born under a special star,_

_Their souls alight and glowing…_

_Against the twelve they must fight,_

_Lift their swords to face our enemy._

_With their courage an unwavering might,_

_And their hearts be full of levity_

_You are the first of your noble cause,_

_Strong against each foe._

_Two shall be of your long ago past,_

_Two others you currently know._

_The other is a mystery and said to be the last,_

_Hidden beneath a proud ideal and the strongest mask…_

_Go now on to Sanaka,_

_The place of hidden dreams._

_Hurry now to Sanaka,_

_The place of secret dreams…_

_Bring them hither west to the field,_

_Each willing to follow thy cause._

_Under their might the guardians will yield,_

_And the darkness will surely pause…_

_A powerful thing they will be given,_

_A thing the darkness must fear._

_The Keeper of Chaos be livid,_

_The darkness be downed in tears…_

_For the savours have come to help us,_

_Once again he shall feel their swords._

_The thing given shall unite and thus,_

_ Together they must beat his hoards…_

_This I tell to you now as you waken,_

_Be swift as the wind as you go._

_Save that which was taken,_

_And banish all of our woe…"_

Isrea smiled slightly as her voice faded, the words carrying for a long time like magic. But it was a grim sort of smile and already she could feel herself fading away into nothingness. Cloud was not looking, and bringing one hand up she noted that her hand was transparent. She gave him a little wave with that transparent hand -though he did not see it- and closed her eyes. She had known this would happen sooner or later and was glad that she had managed to send out her message before she had been taken by it –by _him_. She had completed her task and both parts of the equation had been pushed into motion –she hoped. Isrea sighed an inaudible sigh, accepting her fate as she finally passed from the realm of the dream and vanished with a quiet sort of finality. She just hoped he would heed her words and that, somehow, he would wake… before it was too late…

His eyes roamed the flower field as the voice floated, slowly memorizing the words she had sung. But when Cloud turned back to the girl he found she was gone. Jumping to his feet the blond looked around wildly, but there was just no trace of the girl in pink and even now her voice had faded from the wind, only to repeat itself in his memory.

The wind suddenly turned cold, stinging his skin as it picked up and whipped his hair and clothes around violently. The sakura pedals swirled now in violent, angry spirals around him, almost as though trying to shield him from something. "Isrea?" he choked out, a feeling of both dread and cold anticipation taking hold. His voice echoed strangely but there was no answer from the girl. 

All at once he felt the ground slide out from under him, inky black leaping up at him from under his feet. A feeling spread through his entire mind like someone was straight looking into his soul and he had to bite back the scream he felt bubbling up in his throat. Without Isrea's presence he felt completely vulnerable and he knew with a deadly certainty that something terribly _wrong _was happening. 

A horse cry escaped his lips as he plummeted into the abyss, only to be swallowed up by its searing black walls. Headfirst he tumbled into its endless depths, the smell of flowers fading rapidly until it was almost non-existent -the light above him growing more and more distant as he fell. He lifted a hand to reach out to that quickly dimming light, as though he could somehow grab onto it and hold it -grasp it for whatever was to happen next. But the blue of the sky vanished before his vision and not long after he found himself plunging into pitch black, not a shred of light to be found. 

Through nothingness he fell, his cerulean colored irises searching for some fraction of white or color within the black. Not even the mako glow of his own eyes made the smallest amount of light; and he found that more unnerving then anything else. He flailed his arms wildly, trying hard, _desperately_ even, to find something to grab onto that would slow his headfirst decent into oblivion. But there was nothing. It was just… empty… 

The blackness pressed in on him and as he fell a pressure began to build in his head. It was like something or someone was trying to push their way into his mind. He had felt this kind of sensation before! It was just like what Jenova had tried, but more dark and twisted then she could have ever hoped to be. And then came the laughter, slow at first but steadily getting louder. Dark, menacing, horrible laughter that mocked him and his desperate attempt to save himself. Still he tried to find something, _anything_ that would stop his fall. Anything would do! _Anything!_

He immediately took that back.

Dread suddenly ran through Cloud's veins, freezing his blood and stopping his heart as long fingers stretched out from the darkness toward him. Their black, almost shapeless appearance was barely noticeable until they were latching onto his clothes and arms, grabbing his legs and any appendage they could get and clawing at him as he fell past them, slowing with each hand that touched him. Eventually they stopped his fall and he was suspended in black nothingness. Cloud was trapped, held prisoner in this zero gravity world by lifeless fingers on equally lifeless hands. 

Cloud could feel those black hands latching onto him two or three at a time, dozens more to follow as they grasped his arms, feet, shoulders, head, hair -anything they could get their desperate fingers on, smothering him by the thousands. He struggled vainly as the darkness closed in about him, threatening to suffocate him as it invaded through his mouth and nose and traveled down his throat, choking him. With each touch of those icy fingers he felt a torment and suffering equal to his own, screams of long forgotten pain echoing out past the still ringing laughter. He felt a thousands of these pained souls rage through his body nearly one after another, each trying to tear away what sanity and life he had left. And as the last barrier between himself and the darkness shattered, leaving him defenceless in the face of this unseen and unnamed foe, he felt very much cold and dead –as cold and dead she could while still being capable of feeling pain. Oh yes, he felt a lot of pain. He hurt more then he had ever hurt in his life. Each raging soul stole away a part of him as their black hands touched him, and he felt as though each part had been viciously ripped from his body.

All at once his mind was bare to the creature seeking entrance and he felt its icy grip wrapping around his mind, cold and unrelenting as it closed over him and forced its way deep into the darkest recesses of his innermost thoughts. And even still the souls flooded his mind with their anguished screams that set his teeth to gritting as they stole little pieces from him until there was very little left of 'Cloud Strife' to go around.

And then they got to his memories. He could feel each face, each familiar name he had worked so hard to place to each face, fade as they were taken. Parts of his past were erased with a deadly swiftness, the emptiness in his soul only growing with each snatch of something he treasured so much. He had finally, _finally,_ gotten his head straightened out. He had named each face and remembered each moment of his life with so much clarity. He had finally known who he was. He had finally known himself, Cloud Strife. And then after Isrea's words he had finally felt like the _real_ Cloud.

And now that was going to be taken from him, _again?_ He was to become another empty doll, void of emotions, thoughts and feelings? Was he to fade away yet again into a puppet with no memory of who he actually was?

That _hurt._ It hurt more then his body ached.

To this the laughter only rose in volume -delighted in the pain of it's victim, both mentally and physically. The thoughts swirled in his head until those too, were taken from him. Finally, an empty shell of someone he had once been and longed to be again, he broke. Not able to handle any more of this madness he snapped like a twig, a violent scream ripped from his lungs and throat and exploded from his mouth. Hot tears spilled down his face as he screamed one word, long and loud. 

"Nooooooo---" 

"---Ooooooo!!"

The blond fighter shot bolt upright in his bed, his scream echoing loud and panic stricken through the thick night air, cold sweat drenching his pale face and brow. Violent shudders ran through his body as he fought off panic, his breathing quick and shallow. Cloud was visibly shaken from the nightmare. In fact, he was still unsure if it had been a nightmare at all. Bringing his hands up to his face and pressing his brow into his bare palms he tried to calm himself down. '_It was only a dream. A dream! Get a hold of yourself Cloud!' _But it was no use. The 'dream' was far to fresh in his mind. It had been far too real. Even now he swore he could still feel the last traces of an icy grip fleeing from his mind.

Rapid footsteps and then a loud bang signalled his door had been thrown open. He took no notice of the person who ran in and flew to his side -not until their hands were resting on his still shaking shoulders, anyway. Leaning into the reassuring touch his head came to rest on their shoulder, his body still shuddering and his blue eyes still wide in fear.

"Its okay, Cloud. It was just a nightmare. Everything is alright." Tifa whispered in his ear, rubbing his back slowly. This had happened way too often for her liking. Ever since he had defeated Sephiroth down in the northern creator, Cloud had never been the same. Nightmares plagued him on a regular basis. Now more then ever he had woken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. She was half afraid to leave him alone at all anymore.

_'Oh Cloud! If I could have changed places with you I would have! You don't deserve this! I wish there was something I could do to help you!'_  The brunette was almost in tears as she wrapped her arms around the shaking man's shoulders, resting her chin idly on the top of his head. The others didn't see it, couldn't see it. But oh, she could see it! That haunted look behind his cerulean eyes was always present. Even when he laughed it was there, though he worked so hard to hide it. Maybe it was because of the time they had spent in the lifestream together, she didn't know, but she could see it as plain as day every time she met his stare.

Cloud nearly went limp in her arms, using only enough effort to keep himself upright and not caring to do any more. Slowly the shudders ceased and his hands fell from his face as his breathing returned to normal. He wasn't shaking any more and his heart was no longer beating so hard that she could feel it through his chest. That was a good sign. She let out a slow breath. How many times had they done this? She didn't care to count right now. 

Tifa gave the blond in her arms a small squeeze, burying her face in his golden hair. Cloud needed her, more now then he had ever needed her. She wasn't about to walk away from him.

"Tif?…" a hoarse whisper. He had been crying in his sleep again.

"Yea?" she answered into his hair, giving him another gentle squeeze.

There was a deep intake of air, a soft, shuddering breath that was meant to steady frayed nerves. "…Thanks…"

Tears as soft and fine as mist gathered in her eyes. All she could do was hug him back and whisper "Your welcome" in return.

Long minutes passed before either one of them made a move to retreat from the comfort of the hug. But eventually his mind cleared and Cloud forced himself back into reality. Drawing back from the embrace he shook his head, taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly. It was just a dream, he told himself. _'A dream just like all the others.'  _He raised one trembling hand to run it through his hair and was about to speak again when something snagged half way through. Frowning slightly he brought his fist down to his face, clutching whatever it was firmly in his grasp.

And in his hand was the stem of a white daisy, its pedals pale against the shadows...

**---To be continued---**

Author's Notes:

1. A bit of plot there. Well, actually, A LOT of plot there. Heh. I liked the way the end turned out in this one, though I think I made it a bit overdramatic. I think my fic is turning angst on me! Help! Nah, its just this chapter… uhh… kinda. But your not supposed to know about that! Shhhh!!!

2. Thanks goes out to a friend of mine by the name of  "Keeper Chronos" for all his help with this chapter! He helped solve my biggest dilemma of this entire chapter –how to separate the dream part from reality! At first I was going to put stars in there but I was advised against it by my good friend Chronos. Thanks Chronos, I almost made a huge mistake! (It would have looked so awkward!) He also pointed out a lot of on-going sentences and errors! THANK YOU CHRONOS!!! Your review of this chapter really helped me out! 

3. Thanks also to those of you who sent in reviews and comments! Even if they were brief, everything helped to spur me on to writing the second chapter. ^_^

4. And I know I said that this chapter would reveal only a little bit of plot, but don't worry, I haven't spoiled all of it yet! There's much more plot to come in future chapters! You haven't even met the bad guy yet! Phew though… that poem/song took me _hours_ to write out!

5. Again, comments/suggestions/hate mail can be sent to AdinaWolf_X@hotmail.com OR you could just push that shiny little button down there at the bottom that says "Review!" I like to hear from my readers about what they think so send those emails everyone! Keep the creative streak going and send me comments and reviews!


	3. Meeting your Match

_Beginning Notes:_  GAH! I'm soooo late with this one! I blame it on my US buddies that came up and visited this poor Canadian hick-town girl. They stated for a week and I didn't even think about writing while they were up. Then I had to wait for my temp betareader, but he's so good to me that I am not mad at him and neither should you guys be! Even us authors have lives too! Again, sorry guys and gals!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda… Blah, blah, blah. About all I DO own are Isrea, Sanaka and the few precious pennies that make up my life savings. So yea, don't sue me 'cause I'm broke!__

_Chapter Warning:_  Mild violence, language and adult themes.

-=Complicated Souls=- ---Written by: Isrea--- 

**-=Chapter Three=-**

---Meeting your Match---

"Reno…"

No answer.

"Reno!"

Again, no answer.

"RENO!!"

The red head jumped, green eyes wide as he spun around, a crumpled newspaper clutched in his fist as he came out of his daze. Seeing who it was that had disturbed his inner musings, he sighed while frowning slightly. He hadn't been paying attention again as he was off in his own little world. Apparently he had been doing that a lot lately… 

"Much better." The blonde smirked at him.

Making his way across the kitchen to the coffee pot with a few long strides Reno let his face soften, his thoughts semi-returning to his inner world even as he did so.  Setting down the newspaper and forgetting it instantly with an inaudible sigh, he collected a mug from the cupboard and poured himself a drink. "What already?" he asked irritated, his back turned to his friend. This habit of his was beginning to get bothersome and for a guy in his line or work, not to mention dangerous as well.

Elena huffed slightly at his tone, hefting up a box and planting it firmly on the tabletop, glad at last to get the heavy weight out of her arms. "This is yours. Rude wants you to go through it before we pack everything else up." Turning on her heel she shot a look over her shoulder at the red haired man's back, raising an eyebrow at his unseen expression. Lately he'd been a lot brighter, if not downright cheerful, since their return to town a week ago. Something had changed in that short time Rude and she had been away, though she was unsure as to what. It was almost as though some of the man's inner demons had been banished. He had been caught more then once day dreaming about something.

With a soft smile, she decided that she liked this change. Whoever it was or whatever it was that had fascinated the red head's attention, they were lucky to have it, in her opinion. "I'll see you later. Go through that box soon so we can finish loading the truck up." The red haired Turk merely waved off her statement, hearing her, but too busy in his own musings to really respond. Shaking her head and smiling, the blonde turned and left Reno to his own thoughts, exiting as quietly as she had come.

Reno did nothing for a short time, content to merely stare out of the kitchen window at the world outside. The window's ledge garden spread out before him.  The lilacs were lacing the edges of their container and wafting sweet perfume in through the open screen placed perfectly above the kitchen sink, their purple-blue pedals swaying against the cool breeze. Today was going to be a good day, he declared to himself silently. He had slept better last night then he had ever slept in years. The sun was shining and the air was semi-clean, being so far from Midgar's dark smudge on the horizon. Birds fluttered in the trees, lifting their voice to glorious song. Life was good and even the glares and hateful muttered curses of the townsfolk couldn't possibly ruin his day. Not today.

Though, just why he was in such a good mood was beyond him.  It's not like he had had a very good dream.  He hadn't dreamed at all for the last few days -though actually that was good thing, since most of his dreams tended to be on the bloody side. He guessed that came from years of being a Turk. Reno shrugged the thought off.

_'Oh well. Better get to that box already or Elena will have my head.'_  The Turk muttered mutely, turning to the table. The slate tiles under his bare feet were cold as he padded over to the table and took a seat. The cupboards were bare apart from the necessities and the kitchen was pretty empty about now, with only the table and chairs for furniture.

This was the day everyone in Kalm -especially Reno- had been counting down to. This was the day the three of them moved to Neo-Midgar and resumed work as Turks. This was the day they got the hell out of Kalm. Their licenses had been returned to them the day before and he carried it around in his wallet even now, ready to pull it out if anyone even thought of looking at him funny.

_Licensed to kill._ He loved that phrase so very, very much.

Outwardly he mumbled something unintelligible and the red head set to work on the box, pulling out an assortment of items from the heavily burdened cardboard.  Shirts, photos, an old nightstick, books, odd trinkets, gun clips, an outdated magazine called  "ShinRa Weapons Monthly", a bangle or two… he even thought he saw a materia glowing faintly underneath all that stuff.  He huffed a sigh and set to work, sorting it into a pile of what he wanted and what he didn't.  He tossed the ShinRa Monthly, as well as a few shirts with holes in them, into the garbage pile.  Planet, how old was this box? Had he even unpacked it from the move _into_ Kalm?

"Probably one of my 'in the closet' boxes Elena was always nagging me about." The red head stated aloud, content for now with the answer. It took him a full twenty minutes before he had everything out and sorted, and he had just started putting things back in when Elena appeared in the doorway, a satisfied smirk playing across her lips when she saw the state of the box.

"At least you heard me the fifth time." She teased, stepping into the bare room and taking a seat opposite of him.

"Yea, yea." Reno waved her off, the corners of his mouth twitching to smile. "How could I not, after all?  Everyone in the neighbourhood heard you that time."

The blonde chose to ignore his statement and picked up a random clip of ammo, the cartridge to a USP 45 handgun.  She looked at it a moment, turned it over in her hands and frowned. "Is this mine?" Of course it was.  Neither Reno nor Rude used a USP. Nor did either of them mark their clips with their initials. "How the hell did it get into your box?"

Reno shrugged, his lips spreading into a wide grin as he set a perfectly folded shirt back in the box. "Ah, the miracles of moving! It's almost as mysterious as the 'socks in the drier' phenomenon.  Though I'm sure humanity will figure out at least this puzzle by the end of the decade." He made a face of mock concern and continued. "I'm not quite sure about the drier though, I swore I saw an imp in there last week." His voice was practically dripping with sarcasm.

Elena shot him a shrewd glance. "Are you mocking me?"

The red head batted his eyelashes and pulled up his best 'innocent' look, though it failed miserably for Reno was everything short of innocent. "Yes, Elena. Yes I am. How very nice of you to notice."

"Asshole."

"The compliments just keep coming, don't they! You flatter me sometimes, Elena, sweetie."

"Fuck you, Reno!"

"If you insist!" and he jumped to his feet as he made a superman-like pose. "To the bedroom!!"

Elena chuckled in amusement and narrowed her eyes teasingly. "We already moved the bed, remember darling? Guess that means no nookie for you."

The red haired Turk looked stricken, then grinned foolishly. "Tables work just as good." And he reached across the table in an attempt to grab at the blonde.

"RENO!"

The red head faltered, raising one crimson eyebrow in mid reach. Well, he'd gotten a shout, but not quite from the source he had intended. Shifting his weight and pivoting he turned to face the door, cupping his hands before his mouth to shout back. "WHAT?"

The baritone voice that bellowed a return call could only be Rude's. "We've got visitors!" His bald friend's voice was as neutral as ever and he had a hard time deciphering if that was a good or bad thing.

Frowning slightly the Turk checked the holster already strapped to his jean-clad waist.  Yep, nightstick was present. Reaching underneath the navy Turk jacket he found the butt of his 45 Cal with his fingers strapped securely in his shoulder holster. Gun. Check.  He turned his eyes to Elena and the two shared a short gaze.  She'd been checking her own weapon while he'd done his own.

Then the red head picked up his otherwise neglected cup of coffee and grinned. "Well, let's go see who our charming little visitors are. It just wouldn't be polite to keep them waiting now, would it?"

Elena shook her head and smiled sarcastically as her eyes watched the male walk to the door. "Only this time Reno, please don't hit anybody." She lectured as she joined him and the two headed down the hall.

"Aww, you take all the fun out of it!"

Sauntering out the front door, white mug in hand, the red head stopped on his front porch and raised one crimson eyebrow.  Sea colored eyes scanned the assembled group slowly; his steady and unfaltering gaze caught each face.  Five or six oddly assorted townsfolk had gathered outside their gate.  The yard and the stone pathway leading to the step were oddly deserted of plants or yard things, thus it seemed bigger then it actually was and somewhat bare –though it was a good thing for it greatened the space between himself and the assorted group.  They'd learned early on not to leave things out where the townsfolk could get to them and that had bothered Elena's sense of 'womanly touch' for a while in the beginning.  Her thoughts of a garden had been firmly stamped out the first week.  But the neatly cut, rich green grass was neat and always freshly cut, at least.

Solemnly Rude stood in the driveway, idly leaning against the black ShinRa issued pick-up.  The boxes tapped shut were already piled high and he knew this would be the last load. Reno took all this in and then raised his gaze to meet that of the group's heated stares.

What _now?_

It was obvious by the stormy faces of the men clustered around the gate that they meant ill toward the small, outnumbered but certainly not outmatched, Turk group. This didn't bother Reno in the slightest, though. What bothered him was that he'd not be able to finish his lukewarm coffee.

Or maybe he would, depending on the way things went.

"Yes, ladies?" the red head asked, taking a sip of his coffee and eyeing the all male group with carefully hidden mirth.

_"Ladies?!"_ he heard someone growl in the background, which was quickly cut short by someone else. The leader, a tall brown haired miner of around twenty or so, stepped forward.

"We don't want to see your face in this town again, Turk scum!" he spat, literally –right at Reno's feet in fact. For a moment the red head was just surprised the man could gain that much distance, against the wind, with a bit of saliva. "Get the hell out and don't come back, asshole!"

Reno raised his sea green eyes and levelled them on the man he simply acknowledged as 'Leader' and nothing more.  He let a small chuckle rumble up from his throat and escape in his musical, rich voice. "I'm afraid I can't promise anything. See, President Reeve may have business in Kalm, and we may have to escort him here, after all." The red head stated, taking another sip of his coffee.

'Leader' looked disbelieving. "Like hell you will, ass! You're not no goddamn Turk anymore!" and 'Leader' promptly flipped him off rather unceremoniously.

Reno snorted in laughter and couldn't help himself from allowing a few short laughs to escape his throat, not entirely caused by the man's double negative.  It took him only a moment to calm his short-lived laughing fit though.  With one fluid motion he dug into his blue jeans rear pocket, pulled out the leather wallet and flicked it open.  With the ease in which he completed the motion, it was easy to see he'd done it several hundred times –or he'd been practicing it in the bathroom for just such an occasion, one could never truly tell.

There, in plain view, was his license to kill.  Reno's picture -which was serious for once, as he did not sport the goofy grin that adorned everything else- stared back at those whose eyes had gone wide and their faces paling quickly.  'Leader' quickly recovered and snarled something like another insult, although Reno was in no mood to hear it. His day, even with the apparent disaster coming up, was still simply superb. He was rather enjoying the sight of the squirming townsfolk under his direct, burning gaze.

"Fuck you, Turk! If you ever come back to this town we're gonna kick you back out on your ass, and you'll have more bruises then just on your ass!" 'Leader' replied, fists clenching at his sides. With an amused glance Reno seriously thought he could see a vein pulsing in the man's forehead.

This game, however, was beginning to lose his interest. "We'll do whatever we want, whenever we want, and none of you hick-town miner junkies can do or say otherwise." Reno finally stated, taking a gulp of his coffee before it totally lost its warmth. The summer air felt good on his skin and the sun shone about the yard in brilliant rays, but it was just not warm enough to keep his coffee hot.  Oh well, give it a month and mid summer would roll around and then he'd be cooking eggs on his car's hood. "Now, why don't you children run along home to your mommies, I'm sure they have enough common sense not to come around ruining a Turk's good day without the balls to back it up."

'Leader' growled and few curses were heard from the assembled group.  One even went so far as to pick up a rock and chuck it at Reno's window. The Turk only shrugged at the sound of shattered glass as it scattered around the lawn.  That was supposed to bother him how?  They were moving out, remember?

"Ah, now we throw things. Tell me, did you ever get spanked as a child for throwing tantrums? If not I'd be happy to oblige." And the red haired Turk made a spanking motion with his free hand, a wicked smirk playing across his features.

'Leader' growled and stepped forward again, passing through the open gate with menace. "Shut the hell up, you fucking faggot!"

That instantly got the red head's attention and his grin faded to that of a dangerous frown.  Reno let the softest of snarls pass over his lips, sea green eyes darkening to a deep forest shade. Rude and Elena both read the signs in that instant and both shared a worried look.  Reno was _pissed. _ He practically shoved the mug of cold coffee into Elena's hands and stomped forward, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

Oh yea, they had hit a soft spot all right.

"What, the faggot Turk got all angry now?" 'Leader' snarled, taunting the enraged and slowly advancing enemy. "Whoop-dee-fucking-doo! I'm not scared of you, fag!" If he had noticed the murderous glint in the Turk's eyes perhaps he would have thought twice about that.  Maybe he might have had the common sense to run like hell too.  But he didn't and he was barely aware of the fist that swung at him until it was much too late.

The brown haired miner was launched through the air and into the gate, where he smashed the back of his head into the steel frame.  Someone rushed to his aid, but Reno was already on him.  One fist was pounding into the soft flesh of his almost unconscious adversary, while the other held him in place by the collar of his shirt. Reno was seeing red by now and was heedless of the screams of 'Leader's' followers, nor of the gurgling attempts at screams from his victim. 

By any normal standards such a thing as insults would have never ticked him off so thoroughly.  But he hadn't been called 'faggot' in a rather long time and it brought up some rather annoying memories. Most of which brought the face of the spiky haired blond to the forefront of his mind, something he did _not_ thank the miner for doing. Not to mention Reno's sexuality had always been a touchy subject.

Then there were suddenly strong hands on his shoulders, pulling him back, up and off the man he so wanted to kill at the moment.  Reno was barely aware of Rude's mumbled 'calm downs' as his companion struggled to keep the seething red head away from the miner.  Elena had, in the mean time, walked up and rather savagely kicked the man in the side.  She gave the others a hard glance before someone picked up 'Leader' and carted him away. The rest of the group quickly followed.

Reno seethed with red-vision rage, panting as he tried to calm himself while at the same time lashing his arms out in the direction of the fleeing townfolk.  The bald Turk hadn't let go until the last of the group was out of sight and then he shrugged, stepping back enough that his friend could get some air. Reno pivoted and glared at both his friends, before yanking his cup of cold coffee from the blonde.  He took a deep drink, shuddering only slightly at the cold and now bitter liquid as he tried to focus.  Slowly his features schooled themselves up into a more calm expression and moments later he felt his anger receding.  He sighed harshly, bowing his head and shaking it before he emptied the rest of the cup's contents down his throat.

"Thanks." Was all he said, before he brushed past them and started toward the house, intent on putting the now empty cup in the sink and packing up the rest of his stuff so that they could leave this stupid town and be on their way. He wasn't mad with them for stopping him -he was grateful actually. Sometimes his anger got the better of him and if he'd killed that miner, that might have made his life a bit more of a hassle then he would have liked…

And somehow, even now as his anger faded and common sense once again took hold, Reno was still in a good mood.

"Turks…"

Though how long that would last was an entirely different story.

Reno never made it to the kitchen; he didn't even make it to the doorstep, really. Spinning around on his heel so fast that he nearly toppled over, the red head watched the object of his attention with green eyes as wide as saucers and was very much surprised that they didn't pop out of his head.  Rude had said nothing, as usual; once again the first to notice a new arrival. But Elena sucked in her breath in either hatred or startled realization. 

Reno, well… the muted Turk didn't move, seemingly rooted to the spot with something that resembled both shock and anticipation.  Though he did manage to hide it well with what part of his brain still functioned properly.

There, at the entrance to the gate, stood a rather familiar blond haired man by the name of Cloud Strife.  An equally familiar brunette stood at his side, surveying the group with obvious dislike she didn't even try to hide.  Somewhere in the back of his mind something snarled -the way she just hung off him like that, her obvious possessiveness, her flaunting- by the planet he hated that bitch! Cloud scanned the scene neutrally and took in the broken window and the loaded truck with a single sweeping glance of his calm, emotionless stare. Then he pinned his cerulean gaze back on the group of Turks before him.

"Looks like you're having a bit of trouble…"

And the mug, well…

_SMASH!!_

Well, lets just say the mug never made it to the sink, either.

**---To Be Continued---**

Author's Notes:

1. Well, I'm not sure I liked the way this chapter turned out. For some reason I'm just not very happy with it. Satisfied, but not happy. It's a bit shorter then my other ones but that's okay. It started out a bit plain, and I apologize for that, but I thought it was necessary for the whole cliffhanger at the end there. *Cue Maniacal Laughter* MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I shall torment you with the waiting for the next chapter! Fear my awesome writer's power!!  ^_^;;

2. Thanks again goes out to Keeper Chronos for his betareading of this chapter! Your so awesome Chronos!! Thank you!!

3. And one again, comments/suggestions/hate mail can be sent to AdinaWolf_X@hotmail.com OR you could just push that shiny little button down there at the bottom that says "Submit Review!" I like to hear from my readers about what they think so send those emails and reviews everyone! I'm on a roll here and need everyone's help to keep my little muses locked up in their cages!

Muse 1**:** Let me out of here!!! LET ME OUT!!!

*Hears loud banging as suddenly one of her muses breaks out of its cage and attacks her*

Isrea**:** No, bad Muse! No cookie for you!! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

_--We interrupt this Author's Note to inform you all that popular writer (or she thinks she is) Isrea Ishiida was attacked today at precisely 5:02 pm. We suspect the assassination attempt came from other jealous writers but one eyewitness has this to say_..._---_

Terrified Eyewitness**:** It just came outta' nowhere man! Just like a freaken' monster! It jumped at her and started clawen' at her, and biten' her, and… and…  awww man it was scary! Some aweful, fluffy creature did it! I saw! I saw!… Its gonna get me… its gonna get me… I'm the only eye witness… It's gonna get me!!!

_---We are glad to receive news that Isrea Ishiida had then been rushed to the hospital and will make a full recovery by tomorrow so that she can get back to writing. On other news, a few other related attacks have happened since the creature's escape and we fear that out beloved planet may be in danger. If you come across any suspicious creatures contact your local police or SOLDIER facility  immediately. Or run screaming like ascared little girl, whatever works for you. This is Scarlet of 109.2, Midgar Global, signing off_..._---_

Terrified Eyewitness**:** It's the muse man, the muse!!! ITS GONNA GET US ALL!!!

4. Now I know I haven't been answering my Reviews directly, but I feel I owe you all that at least. So here is my half-assed attempt at a response to everyone!

**Sparrow9:** Thanks a bunch Sparrow! I hope to continue this, since I am putting all my efforts into it. Thanks for being my very firs reviewer!

**PipTheAlmighty: **Thanks Pip, I intend to! You're my second reviewer! Congrats and thanks!

**Minako: **Thanks a bunch for your review. As for Isrea, no she's not an Al-Bhead. The green is actually lifestream in her eyes. I think its okay to tell you that, anyway. As for her sounding like Aeris, she'd got the same type of temperament but she definitely isn't Aeris. Thanks for keeping up with me, and sorry about the horrendously long wait for this chapter!

**Jhaylin: **Thank you so much! I like to know people are enjoying my fic!

**DemonButtercup:** Thanks! I enjoy writing Reno related work. Maybe its just my facination with him? And its good to know that my character Isrea is liked as well.

**Terra: **^_^ Thanks. Although I can't tell you who the Vassals of light and the Apostles of Darkness are. That would be giving away the story! As for Isrea, she's not Aeris but we'll wait and see, wont we?

**Rogue Shadow: **Awww! That's so sweet! Thank you so much! And yea, I wanted to huggle Cloud too! But then I realized that I am the one writing the fic and shouldn't be sympathising with my characters, else I might go soft-hearted and change the plot! o.o;;  That would be bad! I have seen a rather good Reno x Cloud on the net but I can't remember where I found it. I'll go looking for it and get back to you on that as soon as I find it, kay? And thanks, you're the first to comment on Tifa. ^_^ I was hopping that I wrote her right, but I wasn't sure. Although, I might end up twisting around her character just a bit to suit my purposes. She always struck me as a possessive, jealous person, no?

**Katie: **Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I was going for very intense and I am glad that I qualified! But I can't tell you what happened with Isrea -not just yet. You'll have to read on to find out! But I was kind of worried about the descriptions for the abyss. I went into great detail, but that can be a problem when people start to get lost in the drawn out description and don't know what the author is talking about from one part to the next. Thanks for reading so far!

**Notebound Dragon: **Thanks so much Notebound! I'm glad your enjoying it. I am glad that I managed to keep everyone in character, even Reeve's very short mention. ^_^ Don't worry, you'll be seeing and hearing from him a lot more in future chapters.

**Amatsu: **Thanks. And yea, it is hard to find Reno x Cloud fics, isn't it? I wonder why? Its probably because everyone's out there writing Sephy x Cloud or Zack x Cloud, that they forget about the REAL Cloud match up! Reno x Cloud! _ Sorry, I just have a Reno x Cloud thing…

Phew, finally done! That was a lot of typing! Well, wait for my next chapter everyone! ^_^


	4. Expect the Unexpected

_Beginning Notes:_  Thanks everyone for your awesome reviews! And the top reviewer for chapter 3 is… **PrettyArbitary!** Kudos and cookies go to you for your comments and plane old smarts! Yes, "Isrea" is an anagram of "Aeris." I was wondering when someone would figure that one out. I actually didn't mean it to be. I was going to call her Isreal until I realized that if I took off the "L" it'd make Aeris. Hence why she is now called "Isrea"  ^_^

Oh, and I fixed that little problem in this chapter. The one about Cloud's height? Yea, I fixed it up a reloaded the chapter. Sorry about that, my screw up. _

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda…

_Chapter Warning__:_ Language. 

.

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**---- Complicated Souls ----**

---Written by: Isrea---

**---- Chapter Four ----**

--- Expect the Unexpected ---

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. 

Cloud studied the assembled Turk group silently as they gazed back with various degrees of shock on each of their faces. It was to be expected, after all. The last time they had seen each other; one group had been trying to kill the other. That had been well over two years ago and he was hoping that it would not come to such a conflict this time around. Did the Turks hold grudges that long? Seemed so...

Elena fidgeted under his direct stare but held his gaze defiantly, extreme distrust very evident in her eyes. Meanwhile Rude stayed as impassive as ever. These were both expected reactions but he was, to say the least, surprised with Reno's behaviour. Normally the calmest of the group when shocked, the red head had instead dropped something in his surprise. The mug had shattered on contact with the unyielding cement beneath him with a resounding smash and even now he was staring at Cloud as though he'd grown a second head. What the hell was wrong with Reno?

Maybe it was his appearance? Maybe the Turk wasn't used to seeing the blond warrior in anything other then his SOLDIER uniform? The belt of the uniform still circled his waist but his pants were simple black khakis, his semi-tight muscle shirt was also black. Over the last few years Cloud had also grown several inches and presently stood at 6 foot, not including hair, though how that had happened even he couldn't tell. It had happened so gradually that he hadn't taken note of it until just recently. Had his body finally gotten to that much needed growth spurt?

Cloud's battle hardened SOLDIER body was shown off well in his choice of clothing, powerful arms and shoulders outlined against the dark material of his shirt; tanned skin against black, while equally powerful legs were framed in 'just loose enough' pants. Just to complete the outfit a black summer jacket that looked suspiciously like silk was tied around his slender waist. 

Cloud had always been slim and graceful, not overly broad like most - something he had been tormented with while growing up. That coupled with his shortness had caused a weak hearted boy to crumble under society's belief that a bulky body made a strong fighter. But when he had understood enough about himself and the world around him to stand on his own, he had sworn that he would not conform to society so easily. He would get into SOLDIER on his own traits or he would not get in at all. It had been a wistful dream to enter SOLDIER and his rejection had only steeled his determination. It just hadn't made sense and even now he could not see the purpose in his rejection so long ago. He had been strong enough, fit enough, and what he lacked in complete physical strength he had definitely made up for in speed. Then why?…

Incompetent instructors much too high on conformity, he suspected…

It also seemed that Cloud had only had a closet for black in the last two years. Some would claim that the blonde's all black attire reflected his journeys against Sephiroth, seeing as the demigod had also favoured black. If you were to discover Cloud's inner motives you would be surprised to find out they weren't entirely wrong. Cloud wore black to mourn the passing of both Zack and Sephiroth, as well as to signify his journey was finally over. And in a sense it suited him -very well in fact. He looked better in black then he had in any other article of clothing he had ever owned. And this particular outfit proved it well. 

And even now Reno was _still _staring at him…

But when the blond attempted to reach into the other's eyes to pry at what emotions he thought he saw there Reno retaliated instantly. As easily as Cloud himself could pull up mental barriers the red head slammed up a set of his own so fast it almost caused the blond to stagger. Now the Turk was as calm as he was. Their eyes met a second time and for a few seconds the leader of AVALANCHE exchanged a long glance with the Turk directly opposite him, steel blue meeting cold green. The rest of the group remained in a tense silence as the seconds stretched on awkwardly, unwilling to move an inch in fear their two leaders would suddenly lash out at each other.

And when finally eye contact was broken it was, surprisingly, by Reno. He raised a hand to rub the back of his head and slapped on another goofy grin, casting his eyes to the broken window. The tense moment passed and everyone watching simultaneously sighed in relief. "What, the window? Nah, nothing the townsfolk can't clean up after we're gone. Hooligans, the lot of them." The red head shrugged, catching a glimpse of Tifa out of the corner of his eye. She practically clung to the blonde's arm she was standing so close to him. There was a possessive air about the woman who obviously thought that the man standing next to her was _hers_.

Something akin to jealousy bubbled up in the red head but he stomped on that notion so thoroughly that it was instantly snuffed out. He took a kind of wicked delight in feeling that specific emotion break under his heel. "So Spike, what brings you out of hiding and into the rest of the world?"

"Business." was all he got as an answer. Figures. 

There was a pause in commentary as the blond stared off into the distance, eyes scanning the horizon in the general direction of Neo-Midgar. What was he doing here, standing around talking to a group of Turks? Why had he bothered to stop by when he already knew that everything had been dealt with? It wasn't as though the Turks couldn't handle themselves... 

He was so busy with his inner dialogue that he almost didn't catch the flicker in the distance. His eyes were drawn unexpectedly to something on the horizon and for a moment he swore he saw, just briefly, a tiny flash of green against the dark smudge in the sky that was trademark Midgar. He was sharply reminded of his dream a week previous. That had been the exact thing he had seen in the dream... Or had it been? It looked like it… 

Cloud didn't have time to ponder this strange turn of events, however, when he realized that they were expecting him to say something more. As much as he hated putting something he felt was important aside, he did. And he spoke, if only to break the awkward silence. "I heard that you were all reinstated…"

But the image of the dream would not leave his mind. He remembered very clearly the pain and agony, the black abyss… Cloud had been disoriented for days afterward. It had been two whole days before he had managed to pull his scattered wits and memories together again. Two days of confusion to his identity and Tifa watching in fear that he would slip into a relapse of some sort. He almost had, truthfully. He'd caught himself more then once thinking of himself as Zackary Donovan instead of Cloud Strife.

And it was all the more painful because this time around he knew that it wasn't true.

In the end he had managed to shift everything into proper place again. He had his memories back where they belonged and the false ones of Zack had once more been pushed to a tiny corner of his mind where they could do no harm. He was Cloud Strife again and as long as he didn't have another one of those dreams he'd remain Cloud Strife. The only problem was that there were still a few of his memories that eluded him. Distant, minor things of his far away past that he had either blocked or deemed insignificant.

Oh well, give them some time and they would return to him as well.

But his dream had consumed his thoughts from then on. It had been a warning of some kind, he knew it had been, but of what exactly? He couldn't make heads or tales of the song Isrea had sung. He _had_ recognized the name 'Sanaka' as being Wutainese, though, and had instantly thought of Reeve. 

Not many knew that the famous President Reeve Tanakai was a Wutaian, or that he was a collector of the legends of his people. He had though that maybe Reeve could help him decipher it all, so he had called to let the man know he was stopping by on urgent business…

Reno shrugged at the comment, oblivious of his visitor's second long inner turmoil. "Just yesterday, in fact. Guess nothing gets by you Wonderboy." He indicated the door with a nudge of his head to get Elena's attention while Cloud pondered over that new nickname. "I'm going to get that box, then we'll leave." and the Turk disappeared into the depths of the empty house. With a blink Cloud thought he saw the red head actually embarrassed as he retreated through the door and out of sight. At least, he thought it was embarrassment. Reno's face had been red enough, anyway…

.

.

Inside Reno stormed through the hallway trying to pull his tattered wits into some form of stability. What was Strife _doing_ here? Today of all days, no less! Millions of questions rampaged through his head, one at the forefront ensnaring his thoughts. Had the blond seen him kicking the crude out of that guy? Reno felt his face go a little bit redder as he mentally fumed. This was _not_ helping his rather **delicate **situation. First the miner guy had to push it; and then Strife himself appears out of nowhere!

And in that _outfit_! Planet, the man was beautiful with his soft blond hair swaying in the breeze like a nimbus of gold framing his beautiful face; his body outlined so well against his clothing, black accenting hair and eyes… He felt his face flush a little deeper scarlet. Just great. Just fucking great! What the hell was he supposed to do? He'd be thinking about Strife all day now! What was he to do about this stupid, troublesome lust?

_'Gee Cloud; I have this strange infatuation with you. Do you think we could have sex so that I can stop fantasizing about you?... Yea, that's going to happen…'_

Right… He could already see the smoking creator where his house was supposed to be, a pissed off Saviour wielding the Buster Sword and shouting for his blood like a madman.

"No thanks, I'll pass." He muttered to a not-listening hallway as he stepped into the kitchen to retrieve his belongings. 

.

. 

Meanwhile outside, Cloud still couldn't decide what was wrong with Reno so he figured it best not to try. He raised one golden eyebrow as his calm gaze flickered over to the truck in the driveway. He took in the pile of boxes in the back and then the small cab of the vehicle in one swift glance. Three small people might be able to fit but with Rude's broad shoulders and Reno's long legs they'd have a hard time getting the three of them in there comfortably. Cloud couldn't help the barely contained snort of amusement that escaped him as the image of three squished Turks was abruptly brought to mind.

Unfortunately Elena caught it and she scowled at him. "What?" the other woman demanded harshly and Cloud merely shrugged and returned his gaze to her.

"Just observing," he stated and turned his gaze away from her yet again, scanning the yard.

But the blonde was persistent. She wasn't about to let Cloud Strife have a private joke at their expense. She had never been a 'forgive and forget' kind of person. "Observing what, Mr. High and Mighty? Got something to say?"

The brunette stiffened at his side and narrowed her eyes dangerously at the blonde across from her, crossing her arms over her chest. She let a deep scowl cross her features but that seemed to daunt the other little. 

"Come on, Mr. Hero, you have something to say to me? Why not say it to my face! Just because you kicked Sephiroth's ass doesn't mean I'm going to sit here and take your shit." Elena continued, taking a threatening step forward. It seemed that Cloud's mere presence alone aggravated the woman. That and the fact that she was wound tighter then a coil produced potentially dangerous results. Perhaps she still thought Tseng's death had been his fault?... 

"Elena..." Rude attempted to break in but the blonde would not be held back.

"Come on, speak up!" she did not even bothering to acknowledge her friend's plea to stop.

Tifa sucked in her breath and had been about to shout back, not one to sit around and let her friend be badmouthed, when a small hand motion from her companion quieted her. Obviously Cloud could handle it, loath as she was to remain silent, so Tifa settled into simply death-glaring the other woman. 

Cloud looked back to Elena with one raised eyebrow. "I was just wondering how you planned on getting the three of you into that tiny truck and all the way to Midgar, is all..."

"We planned on squishing Elena in the middle, actually," Rude spoke up quite unexpectedly. It wasn't hard to miss the crinkles around the man's eyes over the edges of his sunglasses or the small smile that tugged at the dark skinned man's mouth. Cloud had always liked Rude, despite his repeated attempts to assassinate him. Rude seemed to be the only completely levelheaded one of the group -always calm, always reasonable. But upon closer inspection he had come to realize Reno was also fairly levelheaded when he needed to be. It was easy to admit that Cloud liked that particular attribute in people.

He was also thankful that the minor joke had startled Elena into re-thinking her position. She seemed to calm and regain her composure, if at least on the outside. "So what are you doing here, anyway?" the blonde huffed, eyeing the Saviour of the Planet with open distrust.

Cloud merely shrugged it off and replied with as much sarcasm as humanly possible. In fact, the way he said it might have even brought Reno to shame. "The most notorious group of assassins with particularly shot fused members had a mob at their gate. Tell me Elena, why _am _I over here?"

"That's not what I-"

"Cloud?" a voice suddenly interrupted Elena's sentence and the blond warrior turned to face Tifa, one golden eyebrow arching in question. Tifa only sighed and stated a fact. "We have business to take care of, remember? Reeve is waiting."

Cloud set a hand on his hip and shifted his weight onto one foot, adopting his ever-familiar stance. She was right, after all. They did have business to take care of that he thought was rather important and dallying with Turks was just a waste of his time... "Alright, let's go…" 

It was just then that Reno decided to stumble out the door with a box in his arms, grinning wildly. He made his way over to the truck to set the item down with exaggerated movements, declaring loudly "Alright, that's the last of it! Lets get the hell out of here!" in a merry voice. For a moment the blond was startled into silence. That tone of voice, the glint in the other's green eyes... when was the last time he had heard the red head that happy? Never, he reminded himself slowly. He hadn't even met the Turk before the Meteor incident.

Wait, no... A distant memory came floating back of a carefree red head in a newly acquired Turk uniform, gloating to a younger blond about his acceptance into an elite fighting group. He was bragging that he was a Turk while the other was a lowly trooper. As he recalled, the blond hadn't known the red head and the other had just been looking for a chance to gloat…

And it was just then that Cloud's PHS decided to ring. As quickly as the memory came it vanished, leaving him before he could get a firm hold on it. Frustrated at having to put the memory aside he dug into his jacket pocket and raised the cellular device to his ear. With a click of a button he answered it, careful to let none of his hidden ire pass into his voice, "Hello?"

A familiar voice sounded on the other end, frantic and sketchy, "Cloud! You've got to get to Neo-Midgar right away!"

"Reeve? What the hell?" the blond questioned, forgetting for the moment about the dream or the memory. Without knowing it he was suddenly the main focus of everyone's attention as they picked up on the startled, concerned note in the blonde's voice. "What's happened?"

There was a crackling on the other end and the sound of shuffling as the President sorted through some papers. The constant buzz and static roared in his ears. Obviously the connection in Neo-Midgar was bad. What could have done that? The last time he had checked all the lines had been fully functional. Reeves voice answered a moment later in a near panic, "Cloud, Sector 2's reactor just blew sky high!"

He was suddenly and viciously reminded of his dream. The flicker on the horizon, the dread and the warning, the green flash against Midgar just a few minutes earlier...

The Leader of AVALANCHE paled considerably and Tifa blinked up at him with chocolate eyes. "What's going on Cloud!" she demanded, tugging lightly on his shirt in emphasis. The waiting was killing her and just about everyone else who was listening to the one sided conversation. But the look on the Saviours face was not reassuring.

"Where are you?" Reeve continued without missing a beat; there was more shuffling of papers.

"Kalm… I should get to Neo-Midgar in two hours. One and a half if I'm lucky."

"Right…" there was a momentary pause as the President considered something, then more shuffling, "The Turks are there too, unless they've left, I've-"

"-There here, standing next to me actually…" the warrior interrupted him and he was surprised to see how true that really was. All the Turks had gathered rather close around him during the short conversation and each was about arms reach away, anticipating news of the latest crisis.

"Good, tell them what is going on and bring them as soon as you can. If not all of them can make it at least bring Reno. He's an asshole, but he's our asshole. The best I've got, so I would like him in one piece if you can manage it," Came the reply from the other end, as well as a soft chuckle. Even with the man's apparent nervousness Cloud could appreciate the joke. "Just get here soon… There are some things you might want to see… I'm calling the others right after this."

"I'm on my way. See you when I get there." He needed no explanation on who the 'others' were. It was easy to determine that he meant AVALANCHE.

Hanging-up the PHS and shoving it back into his jacket's deep pockets he turned a grave stare on the four around him. "Sector 2's reactor just exploded," he informed them, already turning on his heel and walking away. Tifa gasped and Elena covered her mouth while Reno and Rude merely exchanged worried glances. "Reno, you're with me. There is no way you all can fit in that truck. Elena and Rude can catch up. Tifa lets go!" It was obvious that he expected his orders to be followed. A reactor blowing up was not something that could be delayed with petty fighting. Luckily, the Turks were smart enough to see that.

Most of them, anyway.

"I'm coming with you!" Elena suddenly shouted at the blond, causing Cloud to look over his shoulder and pause mid step.

"Why?"

She eyed Cloud and then Tifa, who had jumped at the blond man's order to leave, and then she looked at Reno. "Because I don't altogether trust you Strife, and Reno will be outnumbered, that's why."

Cloud was in no mood to argue and simply waved an okay. Reno was secretly relived and at the same time pissed with his friend, though he was unsure which one was his primary emotion -or, which one was logical, for that matter. 

"Hurry up!" the blond shouted back. Both Turks looked at each other for a moment before swallowing their pride and sprinting to catch up with the fading backs of Cloud and Tifa even as they heard the engine of the truck roar to life behind them.

Reno was mentally screaming in frustration as he came to a hurried walk beside the leader of AVALANCHE. An hour and a half with Cloud Strife cramped in a car together? Oh yea, this was _definitely_ going to help his situation… Note the sarcasm. Mentally the red head sighed. He got to sit in Cloud's car -did he even have a car? Or was it a truck? What kind of car was it? - for two hours staring out the window and trying to distract himself while Tifa bore holes in the back of his head with her eyes. 

Speaking of sitting in Cloud's car... He couldn't help the word that escaped his mouth out of simple habit, gaping at himself when he realized just what he'd done.

"Shotgun!" _'Fuck…'_

* * * *

And so it was that half an hour later the four of them were roaring down the highway in a metallic red 69' Camaro, its sun warmed black leather interior melding to his body. Reno couldn't help but marvel over the machine Cloud skilfully guided down the open stretch of road. It had a 396 cubic inch, V-8 engine with 379 horsepower behind it, a custom model - truly a king among cars. 

The ride was smooth and would have been pleasant if it had not been for the screeching of Elena and Tifa directly behind them, both yelling at each other over a silly comment made in passing. It was reaching the ten-minute mark of their argument and it was easy to tell that both men were gradually beginning to get annoyed, though neither had dared stop the catfight in fear of their own ears getting assaulted by the madness.

"Is she always this loud?" the red head finally asked over the shouting, causing the argument to go up another octave. Even with the window rolled down it was hard to hear the wind that rushed through his ears and swept around his hair over the horrendous noise. 

The sun beamed off his shades and cast light to dance across the windshield, the warmth of the sun and the breeze already heating his skin. It was definitely getting warmer as they got closer to Neo-Midgar. He suspected it had something to do with the explosion of the reactor, though he couldn't be sure. He wasn't an expert in Mako Sciences, after all. Rude was the one who favoured in that area and he was probably sixteen miles behind them by now. Reno was really beginning to miss that stupid truck.

Across from him Cloud shrugged, narrowing his eyes behind the reflective sunglasses that were planted firmly over his cerulean oculars. The shades were much the same as Reno's save they had silver frames instead of black ones. His hair rushed about his face and shoulders as the wind from the open window caught it, letting the red head note for the first time that the blonde's hair was longer then it should be. Obviously Strife was letting it grow out. "Tifa? Only when she's proven wrong." The other warrior shouted back over the noise, crinkling his nose as one of the two girls hit a high note that hurt his ears. "Is Elena always this stubborn?"

Reno grinned despite the noise. "Only when she feels like being a bitch." was his return reply. Both men couldn't help the smiles and the quick chuckles that managed to escape them in reply. In any other circumstance he might have been worried about one of the girls hearing their insulting conversation but he knew well and good that they were too far into their own fight to notice what the two males were saying. "God, I wish they would just shut up!"

"I'm with you there. At least we have something in common." the blond shouted back, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He didn't fully trust Reno, nor did he like him much, but they'd have to learn to get along some time. From the looks of things they may be spending a bit of time together until things got sorted out with the reactor. Besides, unlike the others Cloud was quite willing to forgive and forget. Not to mention Reno was turning out to be a better guy then he had previously thought. So, he grit his teeth and attempted to see past the annoying exterior that always managed to somehow tick him off. "Other then our love of cars, of course," he shouted a moment later. 

When Reno merely gave him a puzzled look the blond openly grinned, mentally staggering the red head with his beaming smile. It was the first time he'd seen the blond show that much emotion past fury. Secretly, Reno hoped he'd smile more often... _He has a nice smile… _

_'Shut up already!' _he scolded his little voices.

Having Cloud this close to him wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought it would be. Of course, that was mostly due to the screeching from the backseat. It kept him from concentrating too long on one thing, let alone on Cloud himself for more then a little while. And yet, if he took any more of this punishment he thought his eardrums would burst.

"I saw you eyeing my girl. Nice isn't she?" and Cloud patted the dashboard lovingly. You didn't have to be a detective to know that Cloud loved his car, and seeing as this was a custom built model he obviously knew how to handle one. He was going well over forty over the speed limit of 100mph and showed no signs of slowing, yet he handled the beast beneath them with a skill and talent you couldn't find in the best of racers.

Perhaps there was more to Cloud Strife then met the eye…

"She's a beaut' all right!" Reno replied, settling back into his seat a little more relaxed. It seemed Reno and Cloud could get along better then they realized they could. That at least was a good thing. They had a love of cars in common, as well. Who knew, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get to know the other man a little? If only the bastard would give up that frustrating air of calm and would pull the stick out of his ass a little more, they might even be able to have a civil conversation.

A few more minutes passed in silence between the two. Or, as silent as two screaming banshees could get.

It was only when the argument got out of control that Cloud decided to intervene. The moment the two started to throw fists he turned to Reno, gave him a warning glance and shouted "Get ready!" in a sharp voice -though to Reno it was more of a mouthing of the words. Instantly the red head stopped covering his ears and pushed as far back into his seat as humanly possible, gripping the arms of his seat like a vice. Instincts told him to get ready before questioning the man's intent -and he'd be glad he'd listened to them. He'd only managed to ask _'why?' _when Cloud suddenly shouted "BREAK CHECK!!" at the top of his lungs and slammed his foot down on the breaks. 

Hard.

Cloud wanted to get to Neo-Midgar as soon as possible and all, but he was **_NOT_ **willing to drive with that going on in his back seat. That kind of commotion could get the lot of them killed. 

The sound of screeching tires on cement resounded in a high pitched whine as rubber burned on stone, a long trail of black smearing the highway where the Camaro had created its skid marks. He'd have to get new tires in Neo-Midgar... Pity.

Even being prepared for it Reno had to hold himself in his seat when it happened to keep himself from buckling against his seatbelt. The sudden sharp force hadn't even rocked Cloud, being completely ready for it.

The two in the back weren't quite so lucky.

Both women were flung rather harshly into their seatbelts, hitting the locked pieces of leather hard as they were suddenly and unexpectedly thrown forward. Reno could feel Elena's hands thud against the back of his seat and he winced, knowing she'd have sore wrists later for her mistake. Across from her Tifa had done much the same thing.

As the car finally came to a stop Cloud turned in his seat and death glared both girls over his headrest. "Are we quite done now ladies?" he ground out, frustrated with their antics.

Reno, no less irritated with the women, turned in his seat and gave both an irritated glare. "You can always fucking walk you know." He snarled out, sounding just as angry as Cloud had but willing to voice it a bit more. "I don't think either of us wants to listen to you two howl it out the whole trip to Midgar, so just shut the hell up and enjoy the ride!"

Reno and Cloud exchanged a momentary, approving glance when both girls fell silent and turned back to their own seats, ignoring the pout on each of their companion's faces. "Much better." The blond sighed and was about to hit the gas again when suddenly Tifa's voice cried out once more.

"Oh my god Cloud! LOOK!!" and she pointed her finger wildly toward something out the window. Curious, both men glanced where indicated-

-And immediately jumped out of the car as fast as humanly possible. Tifa had turned to look out the window when something blue had caught her attention. Upon realizing what it was she had alerted the others. Down in the ditch was a person -a man from the looks of it. Sliding out of the car with just as much haste the three of them tracked down to where the man's body lay prone against the lush grass that now surrounded Neo-Midgar, as opposed to the dirt wasteland that had accompanied Old Midgar. 

Cloud was the fist to reach him, taking note of the man's long, spiky black dreadlocks and the uniform that looked so very, very familiar. Slowly he kneeled down and rolled the man over, jumping to his feet again and taking a few steps back when he got an eyeful of the man's face. Cloud went deathly pale, muscles seizing up and cramping as every fibre in his body froze in mute shock.

"Strife? What the hell's wrong with you?" the red head shouted as the group trotted up to the blond. Tifa gasped as soon as she came in range of the man, doing something that sort of resembled Cloud's present state, though she had tears in her wide chocolate eyes. Cloud was simply numb, unable and unwilling to move his body or rend his fixed gaze from the form of the unconscious man. So, wondering what could have possibly rattled the Saviour of the Planet so much, Reno looked down.

And there, laying in the grass, was a man that Reno knew all to well -a man that was supposed to be dead. There, his chest gently rising and falling, was…

Zackary Donovan…

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**--- To Be Continued ---**

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Author's Notes:  

(Sorry about the long wait once again. Like I said before, I don't know how often I'll get to actually work on the fic. My real life keeps me really busy. Some updates might be quick while some might take longer. Pray they I have a pretty free next couple of weeks. _)

1. Okay, I _REAAAAALLY_ hate this chapter. Don't ask me why, but it's just **something** about the way I wrote it that disagrees with me. I think it was the beginning and where I sort of side tracked to get in a bit about what's been happening to Cloud the past two years. We all know what Reno was doing, but I figured we had to have some Cloud background info too. I couldn't fit it in any other way, though... so... I guess I'm going to have to deal with it. *sigh*...

2. Yea, you guys already know that I want reviews and you already know my e-mail, so I'm not going to waste my time typing it.... oh... wait... I just tricked myself into more work. Damnit!

3. **To everyone who asked for Reno x Cloud fanfics! **I said I'd get on it and I did. ^_^ I've found the great Reno x Cloud one I remembered reading. It's called "Golden Moments" and it's a Yaoi lemon. Those of you, who can't stand that stuff, don't read! You'll also find a lot of really good stories on there that may not be Reno x Cloud, but they are good! It won't let me show links in my file… So I can't give it to you here. E-mail me if you want it.

4. I hope Reno and Cloud were both in character. I tried to have a bit of tension between them but they strike me as the type who don't let past screw ups get to them. (Like Cloud's one to talk ^_^) I'm thinking they are both smart enough to know they don't have to hate each other. So, they will try to be nice to each other as long as their patience lasts. ^_^

And here are my responses! Weeeeeeeeeee!!!

**Aimey:** Thanks for giving my fiction a chance, even though you're a little unsure. ^_^ I appreciate it.

**Katie:** Yea, I was laughing just writing it. Even my boyfriend liked it the joking around and he can't stand FF7 or anything related to it. As for your questions about the story, I can't tell you! _ I hope you continue to read my story, I do enjoy reading your reviews! 

**PrettyArbitrary:** Finally someone who has clued in to Isrea's name. I was waiting for that. J I'm glad you like her though; I was indeed going for the 'neat version of the mysterious know-it-all.' As for the updates, I can't promise anything on that because of my busy schedule, but I promise to work on the nest chapter as soon as I get time too, okay?

**Kaze:** I hope the Reno/Cloud interaction was suitable. I tried to keep them in character as much as possible! _ Hehehe, and yea, poor mug… the mug was cool. ^_^

**RavensHaelo:** Thank you Ravens, I hope that I do not disappoint. ^_^

**udonluvr10:** Thank you very much for giving it a chance, even though you may prefer CxS stuff. I like CxS when done right but EVERYONE does it, so I decided not too. I like all the 'out of the norm' stuff myself, like Reno x Cloud, Yuffie x Vincent (I've read an AMAZING Yuffie x Vincent fic, which also happens to be Seph x Cloud. Its one heck of a story!), Tifa x Reno… you know, the oddball stuff. Hehe… Hmmm…  ^_^

Well, that about wraps things up! Stay tuned for my next chapter. Thanks goes to everyone who takes the extra few seconds to leave comments! I love you all! J 


	5. Lonely Reflections

_Beginning Notes:_  I fixed that height problem in the last chapter with Cloud. I could have SWORN that he was 5'9" in the game. Bah, oh well. I went back and re-edited it a bit to fit. And the reviewer for chapter 4 is…. *drum roll*  … It's a tie between **Mandy138** and **Sioux!** That of course is for their help in correcting that height problem! Thanks guys. And thanks everyone else for your reviews! I can't believe all of you are sticking through this with me. Thanks!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda… I am not making money off of them or this fanfiction, blah, blah, blah…

_Chapter Warning__:_  Reference to nudity. (No actual descriptions or anything)

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**---- Complicated Souls ----**

---Written by: Isrea---

**---- Chapter Five ----**

---Lonely Reflections---

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For every thing there is an appointed time; and there is a time for every purpose under the heavens. A time to laugh, a time to weep; a time for peace, and a time for war… 

There is a time and a place to reflect upon one's life. A time to think about the past, to reprimand oneself for one's mistake and, maybe, praise oneself for good deeds. And there is a time to make things right…

For one Zackary Donovan, that time is now…

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The first thing he felt when he came to consciousness was the cold. All around him there was a biting cold as though he lay in the snows of the tundra, like ice, sending shivers up his spine and speckling his exposed skin with goose bumps. He shivered once though he was too numb to feel the pain it caused his unused muscles. But slowly the cold passed out of his limbs and the air became warmer. Soon the area was at a tolerable level and he relaxed a bit.

Under him he could feel ground, rock cut into perfect smoothness and polished until every blemish and mark had been buffed completely out. He was lying on his back, chilled stone pressed against his backside, but he could hear and feel nothing else around him. No sound was present, no quiet day or nighttime noises, and not even the hiss air existed, though he could somehow breathe. There was no sound in the air but that of his own beating heart and his breath, which seemed viciously louder then it should have been.

"Where am I?" his voice was coarse, rough and gritty like he'd eaten sand. He swallowed hard, grimacing at the gesture when pain laced through numb nerves and stiff muscles. He felt as though he'd not moved in centuries and when he tried to open his eyes he found he hadn't the strength to do so.

It took surprisingly less time then he thought for someone to answer, though he hadn't actually expected an answer in the first place. 

"You are here."

Again he tried to open his eyes to see whom it was that was talking to him but he could not. He tried to move but couldn't, fiery pain rushing through every taut muscle in his body.

"Now, now, don't over do it. You've been asleep a very long time. You need to let your body get used to its now living state." The voice called again, closer this time. He could distinctly make out male overtones in the voice, tones that sounded suspiciously familiar. The voice sounded so much, so much, like an old friend of his… he just couldn't place whom. But the voiced sounded more… what, youthful?

"Who are you?" he gritted out, disliking the dry state of his throat with every word.

"My name is Riphothes Tashada." The male spoke again, yet even closer this time. He could feel the youth's clothing brush against his shoulder now as the stranger moved beside his immobile form. They felt like… robes? Was this guy wearing robes? Then the voice sat and his clothing then brushed against his thigh and Zack tensed painfully, thought whirling through his mind as realization hit him.

"Am I naked?"

"Yes."

He didn't like this at all. He couldn't move… couldn't do anything to defend himself… And he was naked. It's a good thing that he'd never been very modest. "You needn't worry about me, Zackary. The last thing I want to do is hurt you." the voice continued.

It was crazy, really crazy, but somehow he believed the stranger that he could not see, the stranger with the familiar yet not so familiar voice. "Where is 'here'?" he ground out, once again trying to pry open his eyelids to get a look at his surroundings, but he was still denied that little luxury.

There was a soft chuckle and suddenly there was a palm on his face, warm as it covered both his eyes with open palm and fingers as though warning him he couldn't open them just yet. Zack was about to protest this sudden movement when Riphothes took his hand away again, tsk'ing at his companion's distrust. "You are here, as I said… Its hard to give a name to what does not technically exist." He seemed to pick up a hint of sarcasm but he wasn't sure. "People of your world often give names to things, needlessly tagging places with labels. I've never really understood that custom myself, though others of my kin have." The stranger's voice mused. "So if you need a familiar term I guess you could call this Limbo, if you like."

That information hit him like a ton of bricks and for a moment Zack was silent before he managed to stutter. "I-I'm dead?"

Another soft chuckle. "Not really, Zackary. Not anymore." This confused him, which only seemed to amuse the strange ghost like voice. "You are in Limbo but its not quite the 'Limbo' that everyone thinks it is. Everyone conceives Limbo to be a physical place between the spirit realm and the real one; a place that you go if you cannot be accepted into the Lifestream properly. They say that souls go there and forever wander its endless planes because of past deeds. That isn't really what your 'Limbo' is."

There was a short pause in which nothing was said and he got the feeling that Riphothes was trying to pick his next words carefully. 

"The place that you now lay is a place set apart from the Lifestream. It's a separate part of the Lifestream, cut off from the rest of it, but a part of it all the same. It's where people and animals and plants go when their souls are about to be reborn… You know all about the rebirth cycle of the Lifestream, right? Where all life energy comes from the Lifestream and returns to it when things die, to be reborn into something else, right Zackary?"

Zack nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Just call me Zack."

There was a pause and he got the impression of someone nodding before continuing. "All souls that come here are no longer dead. They were dead once, but they are given physical body and returned to the surface of the planet usually in the form of children still inside the mothers womb. Of course, none of the souls actually know what's going on while it's happening, and we never let them keep their own memories. It would mess up the whole system."

He could hear himself breathing hard. He was going to be reborn as a child again? He was going to lose his memories? He didn't want to forget anything. He didn't want to loose his precious memories of his friends and their SOLDIER days. It's all he'd ever had that he'd considered worth any value.

And then it hit him like a flash, slamming into his brain like a train. Images ran through his mind of a silver haired demigod rampaging through fire-choked streets. A shining sword leapt through the air, spilling blood and carving a path of carnage in its wake. The sword was unmistakable; it was Masamune. In a rush memories flooded his mind. Memories of a dying brunette laying on reactor floor, a silver haired man in black speaking of his 'mother' and her desires, and a badly injured blond lying prone; his friend, his brother. A gaping wound was in his chest, though the blond went on to fight the one he'd called friend, using Zack's own sword to defeat a man they'd both cherished. Then came Hojo and his twisted experiments, scalpels and screaming and blood everywhere, with cold hospital tables and rooms that smelled too strongly of mako. He remembered sitting in those two glass cells, separated from Cloud and any physical contact save doctors by only a few feet of glass… he'd watched his best friend slip in and out of insanity so many times, watched as Hojo changed him, made him into something the blond had never wanted to be. He'd cried for his friend, wishing in a vain way that he could escape and take Cloud far from any hurt and pain and help return the light to those lifeless eyes…

And he'd tried… he'd tried and he'd died for his one mistake. He'd left too wide a trail. Let them follow too close… In his panic he'd been risky, taking chances with a life that wasn't his to take chances with. But somehow he knew that he'd not failed completely. Cloud Strife was alive somewhere, he knew it. And that brought him at least a little bit of joy.

Zack gasped as his mind took all that in, snapping his eyes open in a rush of adrenaline that screamed through his veins. He felt like crying, screaming, throwing up and laughing all at the same time and he wanted to do so as well, if only to express his momentary confusion. But he did none of those things. Instead he simply continued to stare up at the green nothingness above him, breathing hard and not entirely sure he was seeing it. Green surrounded him on all sides, expanding outward endlessly with no walls or ceiling, only a green stone floor beneath him. The soft glow that radiated down on him was soothing and he was able to calm his hectic thoughts, mesmerized by the swirling mass of light around him that he knew was the Lifestream.

"But of course, you're a special exception, Zacky-boy." The voice that he had entirely forgotten existed said again, a grin in its tone. The stranger pushed off of the ground with his legs, setting his hands on his knees and dusting imaginary dirt from his robes. Zack looked over, ignoring the moment of searing pain it caused, and got an eyeful of long white robes draped over legs and a lean waist. The half robe just barely touched the ground around the teen's bare feet, spidery black lines etched into almost every bit of the fabric in some ancient design that Zack could not even begin to fathom. His eyes traveled up and caught an expanse of a broad bare chest, chiselled to near perfection for someone of his age. Up over the shoulders continued his gaze, meeting hair that was familiar until it reached the face, kind and smooth and angular with welcoming jade eyes. Silver-white framed the youth's face in long strands that fell just to his shoulders and brushed bare skin with every movement. The straight shiny hair reflected the glowing green world around them and turned it a light tone of green but there was no mistaking the original color for anything other then platinum. Zack was very much started at this teen's appearance. He was so familiar, but the face was different, and the eyes… It couldn't be him. Riphothes was barely older then sixteen, after all. Or looked it anyway.

"Heh, so you get clothes and I don't?" the second in command of SOLDIER said, smirking despite the situation. "No fair."

"Oh, you get clothes." And with that he snapped his fingers, the well-known SOLDIER uniform suddenly settling against Zack's skin as it appeared on him. Zack merely gaped at the magic. "Its just that you didn't need them before now."

Sparkling jade eyes as bright as the Lifestream itself smiled down at him and, with an air of confidence, Riphothes reached down and patted the top of the spiky haired SOLDIER's head. "Now, you give 'em heck for us, alright Zackary? Cherish what we've decided to give you. Guard it close."

Zack was about to say 'Its Zack, and what did you give me?' when he suddenly felt himself falling. The ground gave way under him and he desperately tried to grab at something above him that would save him from his downward plummet, but nothing was there and the pain in his body made it impossible to hold on anyway. He continued to fall into the green nothingness head first, feeling more and more light headed as he went. Above him Riphothes was waving his fingers down at him impishly, a mysterious smile on his face as his form began to shrink in the distance.

"And don't forget to breathe, I hear that the first step in resurrection is a doozy!" his voice called down, echoing amid the murmur of green voices that had enveloped Zack's mind as he fell.

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The ebony haired man closed his eyes as all thought left him and his mind was emptied, feeling his body become light as a feather as voices rang out clear and gentle in his head. He continued to fall, slowing down even as he descended, unable to think clearly as long as the murmuring in his mind continued. Voices that reminded him sharply of the Lifestream echoed all at once, making it impossible to discern what they were saying. It was as though a haze has settled over his mind, only getting thicker the closer he came to the bottom of this green abyss.

And in that haze he was given a moment in which all logical thought and doubt was muddled and only raw emotion could shine through, leaving him in a state where he was so clear headed that he could reflect without remorse. He took this opportunity while he had it to look back on his life, what he'd done and where he'd gone and who with. He called to mind all the joyous moments in his life, the laughs and the good times, smiling to himself when the beaming face of a young blond interrupted his thoughts. A moment later a smiling silver haired general and a raven-haired young man joined it. The three of them stood in the practice yard after one of their frequent sessions. He could remember it clearly…

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"Sephiroth, do you think I have a shot at the SOLDIER retest next week?" the blond asked, sheathing the broadsword on his back with ease.

"Of course you do. And this time I'm going to make sure it's graded fairly." The silver haired man replied, straightening and sheathing the Masamune at his waist.

The raven haired SOLDIER beamed and hung an arm around the shoulders of the stony general. "Aw Seph, your always looking out for the little guys, aren't you? How heroic."

The General shrugged and smirked, eyeing Cloud a moment, amused by the raised golden eyebrow that challenged him to say anything about his companion's size. "Well, he is very little, isn't he Zack? Someone has to make sure someone doesn't trip on him."

Zack let out a howl of amusement and leaned forward more, grinning. "Yea, guess your right. Hey, I've got an idea! Maybe we should get him a toothpick for his birthday! He could use it for a sword at the SOLDIER retest!"

"Just you wait until I get my hands on you two!" the blond fumed half heartedly and dashed after the retreating backs of his comrades, shaking his fist in the air. "I'm going to kick your asses when we get back to your place!"

"We'll just have to go to your barracks first then, won't we?"

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Zack chuckled to himself, glad that he'd taken an interest in the blond way back when instead of just brushing him off as another Trooper. It was just something about him, something in his eyes, maybe, that had entranced the second in command of SOLDIER into finding out more about him.

After a moment more of reflection he seemed to stop falling, a warmth spreading through his still slightly chilled limbs as soft air brushed against his skin. For that moment he felt completely at peace within, as though his spirit was being lifted through the heavens on wings. In that single moment he knew he wasn't going to die or forget, that there was still more he had to do, and he stopped looking onto the past and started looking toward the future. He didn't know where he was going or why, but he did know he had a purpose. A reason. There was something he was being sent back to do.

And he'd be damned if he failed this time around. He would not make another mistake like the one he'd already made.

People had spent enough time suffering for his mistake. It was time he set things right again.

Zack suddenly felt warm arms wrap around him and he tensed, but then leaned into the touch with a smile when he smelt the familiar fragrance of roses and lilacs. He got the distinct impression of love from the other and when he opened his eyes the form of a pink clad woman with long chocolate brown hair and large, caring green eyes was brought to sight and he smiled wider. She was tinted with the glow of green that shone from the very air around them and it gave her an ethereal appearance to her otherwise stunning beauty, but she seemed different from the last time he'd seen her. Much more… wise? It was almost as if somehow she'd come to understand the workings of the world in a much more natural way then he could ever hope to. She had this stronger light that shone in her bright eyes, this aura of power and peace that soothed his heart…

"What are you doing here?" Why was she here? Was she?… Could she be?… From the look in her eyes he already knew the answer. Yes, she was dead. But the air of confidence and the proud tilt of her head told him she'd died doing something she'd thought was right. 

Zack had always had this natural ability to perceive what people where thinking and feeling by just looking into their eyes. Just by sharing a stare with him, one could reveal everything about them without knowing it. From her… from her he saw great strength and love, and a passion that had led her to do something drastic. She'd died in honour, and he guessed that she'd done it willingly.

She'd sacrificed herself so that others could live…

She smiled at him a moment and kissed his forehead, saying something in another language that he didn't quite catch. Then she squeezed him gently and brushed one hand through his spiky black hair, her green eyes full of soft love. The two of them still cared deeply for each other but time had dampened their feelings and experiences of the past had weakened that love. She leaned in and spoke again softly, this time in English.

"Watch out for him…" she whispered in his ear, her breath light and warm on his neck. "He's not as strong as he pretends to be…"

"I know." He responded without thinking, knowing instantly whom she meant. It was hard not to when an image of the man was brought to mind from an outside source. Zack didn't know why she wanted 'him' protected. 'He' didn't usually need protection. Zack didn't know the dangers that existed in the living realm but he would do what she asked, if only because it was her, and because it was 'him'. He took one of her slender hands in his and grinned when she looked at him hopefully, winking at her. She squeezed his hand fondly in return and smiled back at him, reassured that someone was looking after 'him' when she could not. But there was a worry behind her bright eyes, like she knew something that Zack did not, but dared not voice it yet.

"I have to go back," she whispered again, leaning back from him and giving him a soft smile. "And you must return to where you belong… Goodbye, my dear Zack."

"I know. If he is in danger, things must be going terribly wrong." He let his hand rise to brush it through her bangs, feeling her silky hair between his fingers. That same hand cupped her cheek and he smiled sadly. "Farewell, my sweet flower girl…." He said, leaning up to plant a soft chaste kiss on her rosy lips for the last time. When he drew back there were glimmering tears in her eyes and he was aware there were some in his own as well.

"Protect him, Zack. He means a lot… to everyone… You must be his Guardian Angel when no one else can…"

"I will Aeris, I will…" he said, letting her hand slide from his with a longing look, wishing this moment didn't have to end. "You love him deeply, don't you?"

A soft smile. "Yes, I suppose I do… Promise me?"

"I promise Aeris."

He felt a pang of loss when she let go and he started to fall again, knowing it would be the last time he'd ever see her. He reached out his hand as he began the slow decent down, feeling her fingertips brush his own in a final farewell both knew would be the last. No more words were spoken between them. None were needed. 

Slowly the smiling form of the flower girl drifted into the distance above and he sank to the depths below. And so they parted once again in good conscience, knowing their love was gone and faded, and knowing that both had duties to do and must push forward. It wasn't so bad, really. She had learned to love again, and he would do so too… if he could. But he believed that in their hearts they'd always have their time together… In their hearts they would always love at least a little…

That was what was running through his mind as suddenly he was gasping for breath as ice cold washed over him and he dropped like a rock through the green haze of Lifestream. He was sent spiralling down into the depths of the world's consciousness before he was shot back up again, slamming hard into something that would turn out to be his own physical body.

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Somewhere, a very much alive Zackary Donovan gasped for his first lungful of conscious air, snapping his eyes open to a white ceiling with blaring lights that hurt his eyes. Around him people scurried and the sound of machinery whirled, frantic shouts being tossed from one person to another. He reached out to grasp at something, dragging gulps of air deep into his lungs. He blinked several times against the glaring white lights above him and latched onto the sides of his own bed, trying to straighten out where he was and what was going on.

Amidst the chaos of human life the words "President Reeve" and "Mr. Strife" were the only ones he heard…

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Back in the Lifestream Riphothes smiled to himself and shook his head; taking a few steps back from the place Zack had vacated only moments previous. He liked the spirited human, if his opinion counted for anything. He couldn't think of a much better man to rest the hands of the world in. There were others like him, but they had yet to gather. Riphothes only hoped that time would not run out before their rag-tag group was complete.

As for time running out…

He turned his back on the hole in the ground that was not really ground and started to walk away even as it began to close. All around him the Lifestream stirred and the voices murmured gentle words of remorse, but he paid them little heed. He didn't need the voices of the Cetra to tell him what happened next. He knew his fate…

He continued to walk for a short distance before he stopped and stretched out his hands before him, watching the human looking appendages for a long moment. He turned them over so that he could see the backs of his hands and then shook his head when they flickered and became translucent. A soft sigh escaped him and he used one translucent hand to brush back silver locks of hair, then let both fall to his sides. His Lifestream colored eyes began to lose their light even now as he watched the souls of the Cetra in their delicate waltz, swirling and swishing around him in wisps so carefree and peaceful. A few brushed his skin and grazed over his chest, leaving a calm and tingly feeling in their wake that didn't die from his skin until long minutes later.

Riphothes looked up into the green above him and saw, high above, a shimmering light that shone upon some far away surface. Like sunlight that danced on the surface of the sea he could see its white rays penetrating the waters of the Lifestream. It filled him with a kind of peace and he knew that the planet's voice was with him, calling him, crying for him.

"Even in this place… Even among the Cetra and the Lifestream and the voice of the planet, am I not safe from your wrath, Chaos?" he asked the air. 

But he got no return answer and Riphothes only sighed. Then he smiled a sad sort of smile and closed his eyes, feeling his body as it passed from a physical state to that of a ghost. He could feel his spirit as the darkness claimed it, a tiny light struggling against a vast darkness that threatened to swallow even the planet's own light.

"Be safe Zack. Find your friends and fulfil your combined destiny. For darkness is coming…and if you do not find a way… then no one will…"

A hand rested on his shoulder then, green wisps of Lifestream floating up from her skin to curl in the air and wrap softly around his silvery hair. The air was suddenly filled with the scent of roses and lilacs and Riphothes took a moment to inhale the airy fragrance. Then he smiled sadly and tipped his face down from the light above, bringing his own hand up to rest it on the woman's. "Thank you, Aeris. Your comfort is much appreciated."

"You did the right thing." She answered back, squeezing his shoulder in emphasis. "He needed to go, and you needed to send him… without him they would be incomplete…"

The quickly fading apparition of Riphothes chuckled softly. "Even with Zack they are incomplete. Even if 'he' does find all of them and the second one is revived… even if Isrea's prophecy comes true and all the Chosen come together… they will still be incomplete." The silver haired youth sighed, now almost completely gone. "How can only half a group defeat a full one? But… I suppose…" and the youth mused on this a moment, then smiled a warm smile. "If there was any on this world that could stop the darkness… it would be them. I pray to Holy that they make it in time, especially since we cannot interfere in this one."

"Yes, we can interfere very little this time. Every time one of you comes in contact with a Chosen, Chaos senses you and attacks. And with each soul he consumes, he gets stronger…especially you and your kin."

"Isrea has already been consumed by the darkness. I can feel her no longer… Now I must join my sister in our eternal rest. Or torment, if you will." He smiled weakly then. "I assume this won't be a very nice experience."

"Goodbye my friend. I will miss you while your gone. And when you come back, you'll see that they are the ones, that Isrea and I were right all along." Aeris said at last. She let her hand fall away from his shoulder and took a step back when he turned to face her, Lifestream eyes settling on her.

"You believe without a single hint of doubt, flower girl. You believe so blindly and so strongly that they will win, don't you?" She nodded slowly and he smiled softly at her even as the last traces of his form vanished. All that was left on him were his echoing words dying in the still air. "Very well, flower girl. If you believe… then I believe, too…"

And then he was gone. Aeris stood there a moment; eyes fixed on the spot her friend had been only moments ago, wishing that the darkness had taken her instead. But of course she was different then him, then them. They were not Cetra, not them… they were something far greater then she or the Ancients… The Cetra did not have such a strong connection with life that they could address the living at will. Not unless the entire Cetra race decided to do so like when she had convinced them all to defeat Meteor...

Aeris finally turned and started to walk away, moving off to join the rest of her kind. "I think, perhaps, this is the beginning of a long and terrible journey…only this time I won't be around to help…I feel so useless."  She sighed softly and looked up, her eyes falling on the voice of the planet that shone its white rays through the Lifestream. Only her worry did not go away, it only grew. "Zack, Cloud, everyone… please, be careful…"

And then she too was gone, dispersing her physical body to return to the flow of Lifestream that she now called home; to her long forgotten race who welcomed her with open arms… 

And to a mother that could only offer condolence to her distraught daughter. The one who'd once been called a flower girl...

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**--- To Be Continued---**

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Author's Notes:

1. Well, just a bit of the "Other Side" point of view there. Got a bit of Aeris action in as well as a new one of those 'people' like Isrea was. *Sniff* I loved this chapter. I think the part with Aeris/Zack interaction was bit too mushy, but it worked (I hope). Cookies to anyone who can guess were I got my first few lines. "For every thing there is an appointed time; and there is a time for every purpose under the heavens. A time to laugh, a time to weep; a time for peace, and a time for war…"

2. Not much to say this time around. E-mail me, review for me please, and that you guys already know how. ^_^ 

3. I hope this chapter answered a lot of your questions on how Zack got to being alive again. Obviously, Riphothes did it using the Lifestream's rebirth process. ^_^ How he got his body back isn't explained yet but can't that just be chalked up to magic, huh?…. Guess not, huh. Hmm, maybe I'll explain that one in future chapters, or I could just leave you to figure it out on your own… XD Sorry about any mistypes or misspells, I didn't get a chance to send it to my betareader since I wanted to send it away tonight. *Phew* It was a lot of work typing this thing out. 

4. My wrist hurts really badly. _ I injured it a couple of days ago playing basketball and have been working on this chapter non-stop since I got hurt. My parents told me no more computer because I type too much while I'm on it, only making my wrist hurt more, so I have to spend a couple of days away. Now my whole arm hurts. _  I hope it won't send me back TOO far in writing the next chapter. But I'll work extra hard on the next chapter, I promise! This is just a heads up on why my next chapter might be late. (Not that I keep a schedule anyway. _ )

And now on to my responses…

**Mandy138: **Yea, it is beginning to shape up, isn't it? I was hoping to keep going with a bit of mystery for at least a couple more chapters, but things had better start getting explained or I might lose my readers, right? And about the link, yea, it doesn't show urls on the fanfiction site when I upload, so it cut it out. E-mail me if you want it.

**Sioux:** Important plot device? Maybe… *twiddles her thumbs and whistles innocently…* ^_^****

**Kaze: **Thanks. And yea, poor Reno. He just kind of struck me as the kind who would try for the front seat all the time. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the rest of my story.

**Sparrow9**: Thank you so much for your inspiring comments Sparrow. Sometimes all an author needs to hear is those few words to keep 'em going. ^_^ I appreciate it.

**Katie**: I am glad you liked my chapter and I hope this chapter cleared up a bit about Zack for you. ^_^ Though how he is going to affect Cloud… we'll have to wait and see, won't we? ^_^ And as for the part about Cloud being disoriented, yea, I figured I had to explain what happened instead of just leave it blank. People would get mad at me then. ^_^

**RavensHaelo: **You think its funny that they get along? Hmm. Well they kind of are the types that would forgive and forget if only because its in their best interests, not to mention both had just been 'doing their job' back then. Thanks for your review!****

**Angry Angel: **THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thank you for actually taking the time to read my fanfics! And you responded to every chapter too, thank you!! ^_^ *huggles* and I thought that three squished Turks was a kind of cute image too. And Reno being jealous of Zack? You'll have to wait and see. ^_^ And yes, banshees should be silenced. Don't worry, they get their just rewards for that little irritation!****

**Minako:** I hope this chapter answered a lot of your questions Minako. I tried to explain the whole Zack thing as best I could without giving away too much of the plot.

Well everyone, wait for my next chapter to be up. I hope to explain a bit about the Reactor and what's going on with everyone else in the next one. It'll probably be a long one, to get some Cloud and Zack interaction in too. After all, Zack just woke up, didn't he?


	6. Reunions, Reactors and Reasons

_Beginning Notes:_ Okay, yea, I owe each and every one of my readers a big apology. My computer got infested with viruses and I could not even open my word program without it freezing and crashing. Thus, I haven't been able to get anything done until now. I apologize. I should have put some kind of note up telling everyone what was up. I actually didn't think far enough ahead to consider it… Again, I'm sorry. I just hope that this chapter kinda makes up for the extreme delay.

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda… I am not making money off of them or this fanfiction, blah, blah, blah…

_Chapter Warning_ Light swearing.

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**---- Complicated Souls ----**

---Written by: Isrea---

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**---- Chapter Six ----**

---Reunions, Reactors and Reasons---

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_"Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."_

**_-Albert Camus_**

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"So Reeve, what was so damn urgent you had to call the lot of us here?" a familiar voice growled out, the deep, harsh tone belonging to none other then Cid Highwind of Rocket Town. The Venus Gospel was strapped lovingly to his back in a custom spear sheath he'd obviously spent a lot of money on, though he didn't wear a bracer. Cid calmly removed the ever present cigarette from between his lips, puffed on it once, twirled it in his fingers and then replaced it again in a smooth motion only a chain smoker could perform. After the initial shock of Meteor had subsided and the power crisis had ended, Reeve had reinstated the Space Program, giving the reins of command over to Cid and placing the base of operations for this new project in Rocket Town. That had kept Cid pretty busy over the years, what with building a new rocket and spending his days tracking down the old members of the program. He spent his nights, however, in the company of his lovely new wife Sheira, who he'd asked to marry him only three days after Meteor was destroyed. Cloud supposed that, once you've been through a live or die experience, you learn to not to procrastinate on things. After all, you never know when you'll get the chance again, right?

Nanaki, or Red XIII as some people knew him, sat quietly beside Cid with that ever-thoughtful look he wore. It almost seemed as though he always had a burden on his shoulders, though he never spoke of his worries to anyone. After Meteor, Nanaki had gone back to his hometown of Cosmo Canyon. There he had become the protector of his people, showing his skill on any number of occasions against tough monsters that had managed their way to the city gate. Reeve had offered the fire-beast a place in ShinRa as well, as he had everyone, but Nanaki had respectfully turned him down. Cloud thought that it was for a love of his home, and a want for peace and quiet. The Leader of AVALANCHE could definitely understand.

Vincent still wore his usual crimson cloak, the neck of the thing pulled up past his chin to cover all but his nose and eyes. Midnight hair swept around his shoulders and down his back, giving him that forever-mysterious feeling and aura. He'd become a wanderer, what with no place left to go or anyone to return to, and had dedicated his travels to the study of the Cetra and the Lifestream. A noble cause, if anything was. But, no matter where he was, the gang could always manage to get a hold of him when they needed him. They all had Vincent's PSH number, after all. It seemed Vincent rather liked the idea of having a group of friends he could turn to when there was nothing else for him. He'd even stopped in at each of their respective houses once and a while, if only for the company and casual conversation.

Barret had gone back to Corel to oversee the continued reconstruction of his town, refusing a place in ShinRa just as most of the others had. Although he'd gotten frequent visits from the Turks he had yet to forgive them for what they had done in the past, only tolerating them because they were dealing with the reconstruction. Barret had never been the forgiving type. Now he stood beside Vincent and Yuffie in the back of the room, one eye on Reeve and the other on the outnumbered Turk group stationed at the front of the room with Cloud and Tifa. Everyone looked pretty sweaty, especially those foolish enough not to shed most of their heavy clothing, like the unfortunate Vincent.

"Sector 2's reactor exploded a couple of hours ago." A few astonished gasps followed Reeve's statement. The president was still running through documents and papers, most of them field reports from the teams he'd sent down, but when he did look up his face was grim. A thin sheen of sweat reflected off his forehead and the sleeves of his expensive suit were rolled up to his elbows. "I've tried sending in numerous scouting teams to the ruined areas of the sector, but the mako level is much too high for normal people to go into it just yet. What's worse, the explosion has turned the whole city into a sauna. We've had air conditioners working overtime but its barely keeping down the heat. Our medical clinics have been swamped with sudden heat stroke victims and some more serious cases. People are passing out in the streets. No one knows what caused the explosion. The best I've gotten so far was that it was a natural reaction within the mako well."

"That's impossible." Nanaki said, shaking his furry head. "The only thing that could cause a burst in the Lifestream that powerful is if there was a reaction to a disturbance in the mako. But mako is seriously condensed Lifestream, and thus it has lost most of its potent life energy. There isn't enough essence left in mako to react that violently with a disturbance." The fire-beast stood on all fours and focused his keen gaze on Reeve. "It is simply impossible."

"Well, until we find out more that's the best explanation I have for you. I was hoping at least one of you might know what's going on. There were no alarms tripped in the reactor before it went up, and the last logs of the scanners say there were no people in it at any time, so that rules out the terrorist factor."

Cloud frowned a moment, thinking back to the knowledge he'd gained in his trooper days about mako, materia and the Lifestream. "Isn't it possible that a strong enough disturbance _might, _and I use the word loosely, be able to effect the mako that violently? Something really, really powerful maybe?" he asked Nanaki, who could only sigh and debate whether that was possible or not.

Rude spoke up just then, adding his own Mako Sciences knowledge into the discussion. "Perhaps, but the only thing that could cause a disturbance that strong is something like the Weapons. But those were all destroyed. You killed them yourselves. There isn't anything left on the planet powerful enough to cause that great a disturbance."

"Indeed." The leader of the Turks stated, crossing his arms over his chest absently. Reno opened his mouth to say something, closed it again as though he'd thought better of it, then continued on to say, "I'll see if I can head into the mako induced sectors later. Maybe I can dig something up, if the mako level isn't too high for even me..."

President Reeve was thankful and gave a nod. "Maybe Cloud can go with you." But Reno's statement confused everyone else in the room, including Elena. The only one who didn't look surprised was Rude, who simply shifted his gaze to Reno in silent support. Even behind the sunglasses you could tell that he knew something that the confused bunch didn't.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Yuffie asked, stepping up to the Turk with a look of curiosity on her not-so-young face. Yuffie had changed a lot after Meteor, from looks to personality. She had gone back to Wutai to help her father in the ruling of the newly independent country and had taken over several duties, most of which had given her a much different view on the world. She was a lot more responsible, if not frighteningly so, but she also had a devious quality about her that spoke of definite Ninja bloodline. She'd matured greatly, though if any materia went missing it was still usually Yuffie's fault. As for looks, she'd grown in the last two years since the incident, becoming a full-blown lady. Cloud had only stopped in a few times to see her and her father, and each time he was amazed with the sudden transition from girl to woman his young friend had undergone. She wore her hair long now, done up in an extravagant bun that looked to have taken hours to make. She still wore her traditional clothing, but she also wore a belt around her waist with the Wutaian symbol etched in silver for a buckle, crafted of fine black leather. It was a nice accessory.

"I mean that I could probably go in there myself and check the place out. Didn't you hear me the first time around?" The red head repeated, keeping his tone light and indifferent. He wasn't in the mood to be answering questions, especially ones that had to do with him. He and Yuffie had usually gotten along surprisingly well, but right now she was stepping dangerously close to the silent boundaries the two had set up. "You really should learn to pay attention kid, you might miss something important."

"Hey, watch your mouth scumbag!" Barret shouted, clenching a fist in Reno's direction in a threatening manner. Yuffie simply waved him down; thankful for the support but smart enough to realize that fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere. Besides, she knew a hint when she saw one. Reno was clearly saying 'leave it alone.'

"Why would _you_ be able to go into that part of the sector when no one else could?" Tifa asked, not picking up on the subtle hidden message. "What makes you so special, Turk?"

Reno opened his mouth to put the brat in her place but he was saved the trouble by a sudden ringing of a PSH. Everyone's eyes turned to Reeve, who had just picked up his desk phone. A quick "Reeve here" and a short moment of silence followed before everyone watched the man's features contort into a look of absolute bewilderment. He finished the call with a simple "Thanks, we'll be right down." before hanging up the phone and turning to Cloud.

"Cloud… Um… It seems our friend Zack has finally decided to wake up…"

No one else had a chance to say or do anything before a certain AVALANCHE leader went tearing from that office as fast as his legs would carry him, pushing his friends out of the way without a second thought to what they might say. Throwing open the doors of Reeve's office, Cloud darted down the hall and out of sight, the only thing running through his mind being the words _'Zack's awake… Zack's alive!' _That alone fuelled him through his desperate sprint down the hallways and toward the elevator. When he skidded to a stop before the thing he instantly hit the down button, mashing it in a perfect duplication of someone in a hurry. Then, when the elevator did not instantly respond to his command, he continued to push the button in rapid-fire succession until that annoying 'ding' sounded and the chrome doors slid open. Stepping inside he punched in the floor number "12" and waited as patiently as possible for the elevator's slow decent. "Hurry up… hurry up…" he mumbled under his breath.

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Meanwhile, back in Reeve's office, everyone was staring through the doors Cloud had just run through as though death was on his heels. Tifa took a few calming breaths and turned to everyone, giving a relieved smile to those in the room before she explained. "Zack was… a very good friend of Cloud's back before Nibelheim was burnt down." She sighed when everyone turned his or her attention to Tifa, all except Reno, who was still looking down the hall and contemplating following Strife's example. "He was the Soldier First Class that came to investigate the Nibel Reactor with Sephiroth… He was Cloud's best friend… but he…" she took a shuddering breath. "Well, he died. He died a long time ago."

"Seems pretty alive to me." Elena chirped, if only to get on the brunette's nerves in this moment of weakness. "He was breathing when we found him on our way here, wasn't he? I'd say that's alive."

Tifa frowned and glared at the blonde before huffing and turning away from the other woman. "Well, that's just the thing. Zack died, we _know_ he died, so what is he doing here… alive?"

"Hey…" Barret started, the information just now starting to sink in. "Wait a minute. Wasn't Zack the guy who Cloud thought he was… back when Sephiroth was still around? The one Cloud had memories of?"

Tifa nodded and the whole AVALANCHE group shared a mutual look of worry, suddenly understanding the significance of this single man to their leader. The Turks, however, were staring at them in confusion. "Wait… What? What the hell are you talking about?" Reno spoke up, scratching absently at the back of his neck. He hated to be kept out of the loop, and this was definitely the 'out of the loop' feeling.

"None of your business. Its personal." Yuffie said flippantly, turning to walk into the hallway through the now open set of double doors. She stopped at the threshold, however, and looked over her shoulder. "Well, I'm going to see Cloud. You all coming?"

"It'd be interesting to finally meet this Zack character…" Vincent said, turning and moving out into the hallway. He didn't even wait for any of the rest of them as they started filing out into the hall behind him and Yuffie, but instead kept walking, worried about how his friend might fare when confronting this obstacle of the past.

In fact, the whole group of them wore pensive, worried looks as they marched in a solemn and quiet crowd down the hall and toward the elevator. Each and every one of them was worried about the same thing. Would Cloud freak when put face to face with this man, like with Sephiroth? Just how would their leader fare?

What was Reno thinking? Reno was thoughtful, trying to understand what was going on and what was wrong with Strife. It was difficult, what with his lack of details. Maybe he'd ask Strife later, if they were still on speaking terms… Or he could pump Reeve for information - that man seemed to know everyone's little secrets. Either way, he'd find out later. But still Reno couldn't help the tiny bit of worry that welled up inside him, no matter how hard the red head tried to smother it. With the look the blonde warrior had had when he'd run out of that office… It was enough to make anyone worry…

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When Cloud got to the twelfth floor he found it bustling with white-coated men and women, all of them running around with clipboards and papers and shouting to one another in important voices. It seemed the Zack phenomenon was of great interest to the ShinRa science and research division. The blond shuddered and pushed his way into the crowd, trying to suppress his anxiety at being around so many people wearing lab coats. It was weird but being around long white coats bothered him, bothered him greatly in fact. Maybe it was because of Hojo, who had adorned such a coat whenever he'd come to torture his captive victims, but it made him very nervous.

Squaring his shoulders and pulling up that foreboding air of importance he was so good at, Cloud fixed his eyes into a stony glare and made his way down the hall. Upon doing this the crowd around him split down the centre to let him pass, recognizing the man for who he was now that his presence wasn't just another figure among the crowd. Cloud Strife, saviour of the world wanted passage.

For a brief moment Cloud was welcoming the fame, if only to get these people away from him. Down the hall and around a corner he travelled, and it was only after a little bit that Cloud realized he didn't know where Zack's room was. He'd been in such a hurry that he'd left without asking Reeve where the man had put his friend. Thinking it better to stop and ask someone than to wander around aimlessly, Cloud stopped the nearest white-coat that passed him by.

"Excuse me miss, but which room is Zackary Donovan's?" Cloud asked as the woman turned to regard him, her hazel eyes settling on the warrior. She wore a pair of small framed glasses, her light brown hair done up in a neat bun and her angled features and tanned skin flawless, kind but strict in design. In her hands rested a clipboard and pen, and she seemed to be busy checking things off for a patient. After a moment Cloud recognized her as Doctor Kadwai, the physician that had patched the blond up a few years ago after the Sephiroth incident. Cloud hadn't exactly come out of that unscratched, and Kadwai had learned the hard way about his dislike for the white coat she had worn, though Cloud had felt terrible afterward.

"He is in the last room down this very hall, Mr. Strife. Room 205" Kadwai said, giving him a welcome smile to say she remembered him. He figured it was good that she harboured no ill will toward him. That blow to the jaw she'd taken back then had done some serious damage. "Careful not to hit anyone when you get there, alright? Your not exactly a weak fellow, Cloud." She tossed him a wink and was on her way before Cloud could respond, leaving a momentarily confused man standing on his own in the hall.

Zack was indeed in room 205. Sitting on a bed in nothing but his pants, the dark haired Soldier was busy scarfing down what looked to be the remains of a steak and potato dinner. His legs hung over the side of the bed, tray in his lap, and a cup rested precariously between his knees. When Cloud cautiously opened the door and poked his head inside, Zack looked up slowly, expecting it to be another nurse come to see his remarkable condition.

Imagine his surprise when Cloud Strife slowly stepped inside his little white hospital room and closed the door behind himself, resting a shy and cautious stare on the dark haired man. Both men could only stare at each other in mute shock, trying to let the reality of the situation sink in. The last time they'd seen each other was outside Midgar in an age so long ago both hardly remembered the time. It was a tragic parting, one that had caused the blond many years of heartache. But now, before him, sat that very man. He was a living and breathing miracle in the flesh. Zack was no less surprised to see Cloud, looking very much the same as he'd remembered him. The only thing that seemed to have changed was his eyes. They seemed sadder than they had once been…

"Z-Zack?" The blond whispered, taking a few slow steps toward him. The sudden burst of emotion on the younger man's face nearly made Zack jump from his spot to run over and hold him, to console him like he'd done so many years ago. If it weren't for the dishes littered across his lap he would have. Setting the tray aside and picking up the cup, Zack slid off his hospital bed and set the thing down on the nearby table. Returning his sparkling green eyes to Cloud, Zack let a large beaming smile melt across his face.

"Heya blue-eyes. Man, its good to see your spiky head again..." Zack replied, unable and unwilling to keep his emotions in check. When Cloud immediately latched onto him and engulfed him in a bear hug, Zack was surprised with the strength in which that hug held. None the less, he returned the hug as eagerly as his best friend was to dish it out, feeling the younger man's tears sliding down his shoulder.

Cloud sucked in some air in an attempt to keep himself from bursting into tears. "Oh God Z-Zack! I-I thought I'd lost you!" he whimpered against his friends shoulder, burying his face in the crook of the dark haired man's neck.

"Shhh… It's okay Cloud. I'm right here, see?" Zack mumbled, gently rubbing his friends back as though trying to calm a child. He rested his chin in Cloud's golden hair and took a moment to reassure himself that he was, indeed, really here. But the feel of his friend against him told Zack that there was no lie, no trick, this wasn't some cruel dream. He was alive again, given a second chance, and he was going to use it to set things right.

Stepping from the hug he held Cloud at arms reach, one hand on each shoulder. Looking into the blond's tear streaked face with a solemn kind of stare, he summoned up the courage to say these next words. "I'm so sorry Cloud. I'm soooo sorry…" Zack said, apologizing for all he was worth.

Cloud gingerly wiped at his eyes and set a confused stare on Zack, a boyish look of someone who didn't understand what a parent was telling him settling across his visage. "For w-what?" he queried, meeting Zack's gaze and not liking the sad note in his friends eyes one bit.

"I couldn't protect you… back then… I couldn't…" Zack bit his lip and looked away almost shamefully, but was surprised when Cloud hugged him again.

"No, I should be sorry. You did all y-you could… I was j-just dead weight. I couldn't even stand on my own…" Cloud mumbled again, sighing now that the initial shock was over and he could finally control himself. Pulling himself together he tried to stop crying. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There's no need to be sorry about something you couldn't help. I've learned that at least…"

Zack smiled as he buried his face in his friend's hair, content right now to hug the blond back. The two were as close as brothers, closer even, and it had been a very long time since he'd seen Cloud. It was hard not to come out of an incident like Hojo's lab and not be this close someone who had shared the experience. Zack couldn't help but feel a brotherly affection for the man in his arms, a need to protect the young blond from the harms of the world. Of course, he'd always felt that way about Cloud… but it seemed a little more intense now that he'd been given his second chance.

The two stood there in silence, feeling no words to be necessary at the moment. It was only after there was a gentle knock at the door that the two of them parted again and smiled at each other, all traces of their sadness fading from their faces. Zack smiled at Cloud and he returned the beaming grin with equal enthusiasm.

Another knock at the door sounded, this one a little more urgent.

Zack looked to the door and called out that it was open, taking his seat on the bed once more as a group he didn't recognize filed into the hospital room. Though they seemed to know Cloud, for each one of them gave him either a respectful nod or a cheery hello when they entered. At least, most of them did, from what Zack could see.

Then, when Reeve entered the room followed closely by Reno, Zack gave a sudden cry of welcome. "Reno! Scoundrel! How have you been?" the dark haired man said, beaming. Reno blinked and set his gaze on Zack, a grin suddenly forming on his lips. His jade eyes sparkled devilishly.

"About as good as you've been, I'm sure." The red head replied, feeling all eyes turn to him. Even Cloud seemed shocked that Reno and Zack were on familiar terms. Reno raised an eyebrow at the bunch of them. "Oh don't be so surprised! Zack was a top-ranking Soldier when I entered the Turks and our little group had always worked pretty close with the higher ups back during the war with Wutai. It's only natural that we got to know one another. It ensured that we could trust each other when the going got tough."

Zack scoffed half-heartedly. "Well, to some extent. You always used to cheat at cards, as I recall. You still owe me forty gil by the way, Red."

"I told you not to call me that, Zackary." Reno said light heartedly, feeling his spirits rise in the mere presence of the dark haired Soldier. Zack had this peculiar little ability to cheer people up. It was almost annoying.

Zack shrugged at the use of his irritatingly full name, but continued to smile anyway.

"Wait, so this guy is the Zack I've heard so much about?" Barret asked, taking a long look at the dark haired man sitting on the hospital bed. He was build like a brick house, Barret allowed him that much. The muscle definition on him was clear and distinct, though it didn't make him look heavy or bulky. Instead it gave him a chiselled look of someone who'd spent many an hour at the gym. After being dead for so long, his well-toned body had not slimmed in the least. His shoulders were broad and his arms were obviously muscular. His face, however, was soft and kind hearted in look. Though, Barret figured that when he needed to be, Zack could fix his features in a mask of cold heartedness just as well as Cloud could.

"In the flesh." Zack replied, holding his hand out to the man. "Zack Donovan, Soldier First Class. At least, I think I'm still a Soldier, anyway."

Barret clasped his hand in greeting, allowing that the man before him was a good-natured one. "Barret Wallace. Ex-leader of AVALANCHE. Good to finally meet ya."

"AVALANCHE?"

Cloud suddenly flinched, though no one noticed it. "I suppose you wouldn't know. AVALANCHE was a terrorist group a while back that went around blowing up reactors." Zack's eyes widened, but Cloud hurried on. "Though, we did it for the good of the planet. I'll explain later. You wouldn't understand if I gave you the short version of the story."

"Good of the planet? _We_ did it? What in the name of Bahamut?" Zack said, looking around at the large group of people warily. The idea of sitting in the same room as terrorists didn't please him. The fact that Cloud was involved with them worried him even more. Just _what_ had the kid been up too while he'd been away?

Reno shrugged and explained, the first to speak up in light of Zack's sudden ill temper. "Cloud became the leader of the terrorist group called AVALANCHE, responsible for the explosion of two mako reactors in Midgar, the defeat of nearly half the ShinRa army, the defeat of the entire Turk group, infiltration of the ShinRa building, the deaths of a number of high ranking ShinRa employees and the destruction of valuable ShinRa property." Reno _did _flinch at the mention of his own defeat, noticeably, though it was momentary.

Everyone thought that Reno was done speaking when he paused, including Cloud who threw him a nasty little glare, but he continued on to say, "Though he's also responsible for saving the lives of millions of innocent people, rescuing a woman who'd been kidnapped, stopping two evil madmen from fulfilling their fiendish plans, standing alone against the forces of evil, defeating giant monsters called Weapons, destroying an alien being from space and saving the entire world from a fate much worse than death. Generally, we all owe Cloud and his team a big fucking thank you letter…" It was needless to say everyone was surprised. "Sometimes being the bad guy can sometimes mean being the good guy, Zack."

Zack shifted his confused stare from Reno to Cloud, then from Cloud to Reno, and then back to the young blond warrior. He opened his mouth to say something, shut it, and then shook his head slowly.

"Cloud, just _what_ have you been _doing_?"

---------------

It took Cloud several hours to explain to Zack the full story of the hunt for Sephiroth. Reno stayed around to add his own two sense in when he felt like it, often telling the lot of them what the Turks and ShinRa had been doing while Cloud and his group had been running around the world. Vincent or Yuffie, the only two that had stuck around for the retelling of their journey, filled in anything he missed. Cid had had to get back to the Highwind to make sure everything was getting done on his ship, Reeve needed to return to his presidential duties, Barret just didn't want to hear the whole thing retold, and Nanaki and Tifa had gone to find something to eat. Both Elena and Rude had wanted to stick around to find out the whole story but Reno had told them both firmly to keep out of it for now, promising to fill them in later. Something Cloud thought was suspiciously strange. Though, he was grateful that he didn't have to explain it to more than a couple people who didn't already know. The conversation had been an awkward one, and several of Reno's comments had been nerve grating. Somehow, the good humour the two of them had shared was dissipating quickly.

"That makes a bit more sense, now that I know what's been happening…" Zack said, lying back on his bed and resting his arms behind his head. It was reassuring to know that Cloud hadn't really been a big time terrorist after all.

The rest of them had all pulled chairs up beside the bed and had taken seats, not moving the whole time it took to retell the story. Currently Reno was the only one left standing, opting to stand by the window. Every so often Zack would catch him shifting his gaze to look out over the city of Midgar, deep in thought.

"Yea, it wasn't exactly a fun ride the whole way. It had its moments, but all in all, I wouldn't like to repeat the experience." Yuffie piped up, leaning back into her chair.

"Indeed." Vincent added, agreeing whole-heartedly.

Zack sighed, staring up at the ceiling with morose look. "I still can't believe Seph did that… I got that it was mostly a Sephiroth Clone running around doing all that evil stuff… but… in the end even the real Sephiroth had been infected by Jenova's lies…"

"The man had a weak soul." Reno stated as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "To succumb to Jenova so easily, he must have had serious doubts about himself. That made him weak."

Cloud was about to retort to that comment in defence of Sephiroth when he was stricken with a sudden realization; he hadn't talked to Reeve about Isrea yet. Reno's words had reminded him of the real reason he'd come here before finding out about the reactor. Zack's sudden burst of defensive anger, however, cut off his thoughts.

"Seph does not have a weak soul!" The dark haired man said, glaring over at Reno in defence of his friend. "Maybe there was a moment of weakness, but Sephiroth's soul is a strong as anyone's is. He's always been a fair and loyal person to the people he cares about! Nobody ever bothered to look past what they saw is all." Zack sat up, just slightly irritated with everyone's misunderstanding of his friend.

"That's why he stabbed you and Strife? That's why he went berserk and tried to kill the lot of humanity? That's real loyalty for ya!" Reno retorted.

Vincent interrupted the argument before anything else could be said, asking a question about something no one else had picked up on. "Zack, you speak as though Sephiroth were not dead…"

Both Reno and Zack blinked in surprise and then Zack sighed, shaking his head as his anger receded. "I just can't seem to think of Seph as dead… Hurts too much, I suppose…" The dark haired man said, lying back down. "He was a… good friend."

Cloud bowed his head slightly, casting his eyes to the floor. He was feeling every bit the sorrow that Zack felt for the loss of one of their good friends. Sephiroth had completed their little friendship triangle, as close to the two of them as they were to each other. It… hurt… to know that he had been the one to slay Sephiroth. Though, none of that showed on his face.

"Cloud?" Yuffie asked, noting her leader's sudden downcast eyes. AVALANCHE had disbanded a while ago but to her, to the lot of them, Cloud would always be their leader. Even Reeve would take orders from Cloud, if the blond were so inclined to give them.

Cloud looked up quickly, meeting the stares of everyone in the room. He nodded, keeping his emotions and facial features firmly in check. "I was just thinking… wondering why the reactor would blow up so suddenly. I mean, they aren't even functioning anymore…" he lied, though the thought _had_ been floating around on the surface of his mind all day.

"A reactor blew up recently?" Zack said, once again confused. Yuffie chuckled in amusement at the man's reaction. It was understandable, she supposed.

"Yep! Sector two's reactor went kablooye today." She explained, shrugging. "Why do you think it's so hot?"

**_"Today!?"_** Zack nearly shouted, springing up from his position almost immediately. "Well, hasn't anyone gone in to investigate? Reeve should send in scouts as soon as possible!" He was up and off his bed almost immediately, moving to collect his shirt and gear from a nearby table. "What if it's a terrorist act? Have the logs been checked? The scanners should tell you if anyone was in the reactor at all." Once he'd adorned the familiar shirt, belt, shoulder piece and straps to his uniform both Vincent and Yuffie were struck with a moment of familiarity. Cloud had worn nearly the exact same thing only two years ago, hadn't he? Oh well…

Cloud stood up to calm his friend, pushing back his chair and stepping in front of the dark haired Soildier. "Zack… Reeve already tried sending in patrols. No one can get in there because of the sudden mako surge. Anyone who's tried has come back out with severe mako poisoning. And yes, the scanner logs have been checked. The terrorist factor is a negative. Calm down, your not in charge at the moment, remember?"

Zack stopped mid-stride to regard Cloud for a puzzled moment, then chuckled and relaxed. "Sorry, old habits die hard. I was Second in Command of Soldier once, remember?" he said, brushing one hand through his raven hair absently.

"I know what you mean." Cloud replied, imitating the dark haired man by brushing one hand through his golden blond hair in the exact same fashion Zack had just done. Again, Yuffie and Vincent were struck with the similarities of the two men before them. If they hadn't known better, and if they hadn't known the whole story, they'd have thought Cloud and Zack were the same person. Even Reno caught it.

Feeling everyone's stares on the two of them, Zack and Cloud shared a confused and bewildered glance before Cloud turned to Yuffie. "What?" It seemed neither one had noticed the casual brush of hand through hair, even though they had been completely identical and preformed one right after the other.

Yuffie instantly looked away, smiling mischievously. "Nothing! Nothing!" Changing the subject quickly, she asked. "So, are you going to go with Reno into Sector Two later? I think Reeve wants you too..."

Cloud shifted his cerulean gaze to the red head standing by the window. He raised one golden eyebrow before shrugging. "I don't see why not. I'd probably do better in a mako drenched area then he would anyway."

Reno flinched and Zack shook his head. "Not everything is what it seems, Cloud." The dark haired Soldier said unexpectedly, but left it at that. "Anyway, I'll go too. I've got about as much mako in me as you do, so I might as well make myself useful."

"Are you sure you should be running around in a mako induced sector so soon after your resurrection?" Vincent spoke up, causing everyone in the room except Zack to turn and stare at him in confusion. It seemed a lot of people were getting confused lately.

Zack shrugged nonchalantly. "Lifestream, Mako, practically the same thing right? I'll be fine."

Reno suddenly threw his hands up before himself, signally that the conversation had to come to a halt for a moment in order for his brain to keep up. Cloud was feeling much the same way. "Wait, wait! Resurrection? What the?… You actually _did_ die?" the red head asked, the significance of the statement starting to sink in.

"Yea. It was… an awkward feeling. I woke up in the Lifestream and I met someone. He told me I was getting a second chance at life, though I'm not sure why. He was strange, talking about the Lifestream's rebirth cycle and about Limbo, and other things I didn't understand. Well, whatever, he definitely wasn't human…" Zack let a puzzled look pass over his features for a moment. "But, one of his last comments still confuses me. For the life of me I can't figure out what he meant."

"What did he say?" Cloud asked breathlessly, feeling that somehow this man and the little girl Isrea just might be connected.

"Give 'em heck for us…" Zack said, repeating the words slowly.

"Well, whatever! We can all think about this crap later, I'm starved!" Yuffie declared, standing up from her rather uncomfortable chair. She'd been sitting for hours and took a moment to stretch out her legs and joints before she grinned at the lot of them. "Come on, let's go get something to eat!" And her stomach promptly growled. Grinning she moved to the door, opened it, and turned to wait for the rest of them.

Zack shrugged, banishing the quote to the back of his thoughts. "I **am** kinda hungry." He said, heading toward the door where Yuffie was waving madly for the rest of them to follow.

Cloud chuckled, opting for food over thought at the moment too. "Yea, but your always hungry. I remember cooking a three course meal for you and Seph, and _you_ complained that there wasn't enough food!"

'_Seph?'_ Reno questioned mentally, catching the affectionate nick-name, even though Strife himself was unaware he was even using it. He said nothing as he followed the lot of them out, letting himself fall behind unnoticed. It seemed the others had temporarily forgotten that he had been in the room, which was good for him since he wanted to slip away unnoticed to find Elena and Rude. The last thing he wanted at the moment was a public dinner with the AVALANCHE team. Elena and Rude would be expecting some answers right about now anyway.

So, slipping silently away from the group as soon as they entered the hall, Reno escaped in the opposite direction and went looking for his own companions. Things were starting to make a little more sense. The only thing left now to worry about was his trek into Sector Two with Strife and Zack.

His gut told him it was going to be a rather unpleasant experience…

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**--- To Be Continued---**

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_Author's Notes:_

1. That cookie goes to AA for her knowledge of the last chapter's opening quote. Again, I am sooooo sorry this took so very long. If this ever happens again I'll try and get some kind of warning up for everyone… Once again, I apologize.

2. Well, I can honestly say that I liked this chapter. There are a few things that could be changed, but all in all it turned out nicely. I know the beginning kind of drawls on and on about what everyone's been doing for the last two years, but I figured it needed to be said so what better time then when everyone was together? This chapter didn't explain much, but rather was a bit of filler and character interaction. This chapter was supposed to be longer but I cut it in half, so the next chapter should be posted soon.

3. Ah, you all know what I'm going to say here. Reviews, emails, you know the drill. All are welcome. Sometimes the only thing that keeps people writing are the reviews they get.

Sorry, no responses this time. I'll try and add them in the next chapter. Thank you everyone that reviewed the last chapter though, I appreciate all the things you guys say to me. Some of them are funny, others interesting, while some are very much welcome criticism. Either way, I'm very thankful for everything you all have written to me and can only hope to get more. Thanks a bunch!


	7. Trials and Tribulations

Top of Form

_Beginning Notes:_ Sorry about the delay but I was having problems writing this chapter and I got stuck on some parts. Not to mention my real life is giving me problems.I'm going to college soon! Wish me luck everyone! Oh... and I apologize for the weird ass dashes ( - ) you'll find littered throughout this chapter. Ffnet s being really weird and is screwing with my documents, cutting out styles and things that really should NOT be cut out. It won't even let me space out things with more than one space! What is up with that? Pfft... anyway, I'm using the dashes so I can keep the chapter looking clean and nice, instead of a scramble of text you guys wouldn't be able to read properly... I USED to have this all done up nice and pretty for you all, but now I have to use half-assed stylization... err... Ahem!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda yadda yadda… I'm not making money off them or this fanfiction, blah blah blah. You all know the drill.

_Chapter Warning:_ Swearing, Violence.

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**Legend**

---------------------- ..-Changing times / locations

---- ---- ---..-Flashback

'_Comment in Italics_' ..-Thoughts / inner musings

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**---Complicated Souls---**

---Written by Isrea Ishiida---

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**---Chapter Seven---**

---Trials and Tribulations---

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_I once read a book that was written in the Eleventh Century. In it, a man spoke about the five steps toward making amends. _

_The first step involved acknowledging what you did. _

_The second involved remorse. _

_The third involved making right with your neighbor, like if you stole his chocobo you'd have to go and catch him another. _

_Only then were you able to go to step four, which was making it right with the Gods. _

_But it wasn't until step five that you could truly be redeemed. It had to do with being in the same place, in the same situation, and as it goes… you go and do something different…_

_Only I can't bring her back like she's some stolen chocobo… certainly made sure of that two years ago. _

_And I don't believe in some God that's going to open his arms to me, even if I did - so there goes steps three and four. As for step five… _

_Time makes sure we're never in the same place twice, no matter how much we wish it._

_Which is why, for me, I know I will never be redeemed…_

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_-_

Lunch was short and simple, but for some reason filling and delicious. During the meal everyone had continually hammered Zack and Cloud with questions, and only after Cloud had, rather politely, told them all to shut up had things began to calm a bit. Maybe it was Zack's doing, but everyone seemed to be in a good mood despite the things looming on their minds. What was going on with the reactor, and in Cloud's case, who was Isrea? None of it made any sense, but Cloud figured that he'd get answers soon enough. Things always seemed to fall together that way.

The heat was starting to die down and everyone had finally found it cool enough to put on their heavier clothing. Cloud even thought he'd seen Vincent readjusting his cloak, though Vincent had made no comment about the heat the entire time. The man's inhuman resistance to temperature still amazed Cloud – someday he'd have to ask about it.

They parted ways after lunch, splitting up to go about the many different things they needed to do while in Midgar. Cloud had picked up a bracer for Zack and some materia for the trip into sector two; Reeve was more than willing to accommodate the SOLDIER with some of Cait Sith's higher powered stuff, seeing as the robotic doll was no longer functioning. After that Cloud and Zack headed off to go meet Reno, having decided to meet in the front lobby. Before that, however, the duo made a short trip to the underground parking lot. There they picked up something Cloud had left in the car and, though he hoped he didn't need it, thought was necessary.

"Whoa, Cloud! That is the most kick ass sword I have ever seen!" Zack exclaimed as the blond pulled the Ultima weapon from the insides of his trunk, the purple hue of the massive blade casting a faint glow over the two of them as it reacted to Cloud's touch. Luckily Cloud had redesigned his car's trunk so that he could lift up the bottom out and get at a hollowed out space beneath. There he could store any number of his weapons, enlarging the back end to accommodate the longer swords. They were all unsheathed for emergency reasons, but each had a sheath lying next to it. "And trust me pal, I've seen a lot of swords." Not the least of which surprised Zack was Cloud's amazing strength to hold the weapon so lightly. Then again, with everything Cloud had gone through, it really wasn't a surprise now that he thought about it…

Cloud chuckled and next pulled a large sheath out. He slipped the Ultima weapon into its sheath and strapped the contraption onto his back, much like Zack had once done to the Buster Sword. Then a thought occurred to him, and he leaned down to take something else from his trunk. "Zack… I've got something here for you. Call it… returning something I borrowed." He said, stepping back with the handle of yet another sword in his hands. The large steel blade shone brightly against the ceiling lights, the freshly polished surface and sharp edge clear cut and defined. The dark haired SOLDIER's eyes widened in surprise.

"My…" Zack said, trailing off as he took the Buster Sword into his hands and looked into the blade's polished surface almost lovingly. "You've had it all this time?"

"Yea." Cloud replied, taking out the Buster Sword's sheath and closing the trunk after himself, satisfied when the soft click echoed through the parking lot. "I even polished it for you." He tossed the sheath to Zack, who nimbly caught it, and turned toward the exit. "Come on. The Turk'll be waiting for us by now."

Slipping the sword into its sheath tenderly and placing it across his back to match Cloud, Zack nodded and jogged up to where the blond warrior was walking away from him. Zack did note that Cloud wore his sword the exact same way Zack did, which was new, but he chalked it up to experiences of the past – and habit. They ascended the stairs one after the other and exited onto the first floor where they did, indeed, find Reno waiting for them. He was conversing with one of the more lovely secretaries, and both Cloud and Zack rolled their eyes as they walked up to the pair. At least he had his weapons on him.

"Aren't you supposed to be on duty?" Zack asked half heartedly, throwing in an exaggerated hand gesture just for fun. Reno turned to regard them and grinned extremely rakishly, flicking some of his red hair from his eyes. The secretary blushed.

"Turks are always on duty. We just get more leniency then you SOLDIER boys do." He replied, not willing to tell them that he was only asking for the time and risk ruining his spotless reputation he'd worked so hard to get. He was proud of it, after all. And yea, maybe he'd done a _little_ bit of flirting with her… Just a little!

"Yea, right. Lets go Red, before you start flirting with the whole staff." Zack replied, waving his friends toward the exit. Reno shrugged as the secretary walked away and followed the two of them out.

----------------------

It took the three of them only minutes riding the train to get to sector three, where they stopped off and traveled the rest of the way by foot. They came to a stop just outside sector two where a large barrier had been built by the ShinRa military, using the surrounding debris to block the entrances and exits. The area was totaled, buildings crumbled and homes destroyed. What was once smooth metal and cement was now nothing more than chipped and broken wreckage. A large encampment was just starting to get settled in at the base of the barrier and tents could be seen being set up, while carts and vehicles carrying supplies moved to and fro. Soldiers and guards marched around toting weapons and others were helping with the construction of the mini base. Around them people shouted to one another, confirming shipments or shouting orders. It seemed they were doing a hurried job of setting up, and it was clear they'd only been there for no more than twenty minutes or so. It was surprising how fast the ShinRa military could mobilize.

Cloud immediately sought out the commander in charge, stopping a red clad guard who obliged them immediately. The three of them were lead to a large tent in the middle of the encampment where two soldiers stood guard outside. Cloud found it strange that the military was stationed around the sector, and he wasn't the only one to think so; had Reeve neglected to tell them something? The Red Guard slipped inside the tent after leading them there, and soon returned and left them outside without a word to the wise.

"Ah, Cloud Strife, Reno Sinclair. Come in, come in." came a voice as the tent flaps were pushed aside for them by one of the soldiers waiting there, and the three of them entered slowly. A broad shouldered man was sitting rather lazily in a fold chair, his uniform neat, crisp and clean. Cloud could tell by the different stripes and colors that he was a captain, and he stood the moment all three entered the tent. The man had a surprisingly rigid physique for the thirty years the man had on him, with orange, military cut hair and hard lined facial features. It was obvious he'd once fought in a war of some kind – probably the Wutai war.

"So, its true then…" the captain said, turning his brown eyed gaze to Zack. His voice was gruff, but welcoming, and Zack smiled. The captain smiled in return, his eyes lighting up merrily. "President Reeve told me you'd come back from the dead, but I didn't really believe him. Its good to see you up and around, Sir."

"Good to be back, Gartain." Zack replied, folding his arms over his chest. Cloud frowned a bit - the name was… so familiar.

"Its good to see you again too, Cloud. And Reno, of course." Gartain continued, smiling at the blond and then at the red head. So, they were all friends here. Kind of a weird feeling, actually, seeing as Cloud could not remember whom the man was. Cloud and Reno nodded back respectively. Luckily, Reno saw fit to speak next, saving Cloud any kind of embarrassment.

"Why is this encampment here, Maxx?" Reno's eyes roamed over the insides of the tent while he used the captain's first name. It was furnished rather hurriedly, a cot on one side of the room next to a chair and a small desk, blankets piled at the end of said cot. A table occupied the center of the room, large and round but clearly a fold up. Chairs littered the ground, which was layered with canvas, but the tent walls were bare. The large single room was almost empty, which gave the feeling of a lot of space. Maxx sighed and took a seat back in his chair, offering seats to his guests when he did so. They refused politely and remained standing.

"The President had us set up an encampment here, just in case. He suspects something is up… I am starting to agree with him, personally."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, rolling his shoulders back so that the Ultima weapon sat more comfortably on his back, crossing his arms over his chest. Why would Reeve set up a military encampment and not tell them?

"There have been some suspicious sightings around this sector. Citizens have been reporting mysterious figures, moving shadows and strange noises at all hours of the day. My men have even witnessed some of these strange sightings, hearing noises and such, and we've only been here twenty minutes… Something pretty eerie is going on in there." The captain replied, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. This motion revealed to Cloud that Maxx had a tattoo on the back of his right hand. It was of an uncommon tribal design; words written around the form of a twisted snake while symbols were etched into the snake's scales. This sight struck a memory, something buried in the back of his mind…

He remembered shaking hands with Maxx Gartain for the first time, while Zack and Sephiroth stood off to the left of them. Maxx had a smile on his face, and Cloud was a bit flustered at meeting a Captain of this man's reputation. He noted the tattoo on the man's hand and had asked about it. Maxx only seemed amused.

-

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

"_Oh this?" _he'd said, showing off the tattoo. _"Just a little thing I picked up a while back… Actually…" _and here he turned to a guilty looking Zack. _"Our good Lieutenant General convinced me to do it, back when we'd just started in SOLDIER. You should see HIS tattoo."_

Zack chuckled almost nervously. _"I was young, things happen…" _

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

-

Captain Gartain! Maxx Gartain! Now Cloud remembered... This man had been a captain in the war with Wutai and had been one of Zack's many friends. He'd met Gartain a long time ago, back when he'd been a trooper. He remembered many a sparring match that they had had, Cloud usually walking away with more than a few bruises. It was not surprising that Maxx was still a captain in the military; he had the mind of a brilliant tactician, the pride of a soldier and a love for the battlefield.

"Monsters?" Zack said suddenly, snapping Cloud back to reality. "Could anything survive an explosion of this magnitude?" Maxx shrugged, unable to supply an answer.

Cloud made a thoughtful noise and frowned. "Well, if there are monsters in there, they'll be pretty powerful. With that much mako floating around in the air I wouldn't be surprised if they gave even us some trouble." He muttered.

"Reeve probably forgot to tell us about the encampment before we left." Reno said suddenly, adjusting the pair of sunglasses resting in the mess of his hair. "He's been busy with all these recent problems, its no real surprise; Reeve can be forgetful about small things when he's working hard."

Maxx nodded, standing from his seat. "Well, I'd better give the order to let you guys through. The President told me that you were coming… I think your all a bunch of crazy buggers going in there before the mako level drops, myself, but I suppose I'm not one to judge."

Reno shrugged absently and turned to leave, waving over his shoulder as though brushing the statement off. "Ah, don't worry about us, we can handle it." Cloud and Zack exchanged a half-hearted sigh before turning to follow the Turk outside, Zack smirking absently.

"I hope you find whatever it is your looking for in there." Maxx said, watching as they exited his tent and following after them. He turned to one of the soldiers stationed outside his tent and gave the man a curt order to tell the gates to allow Zackary Donovan, Cloud Strife, and Reno Sinclair passage. The soldier ran off immediately and Maxx turned back to the three of them. He offered them quick handshakes and when those were finished with he wished them well on their way.

A couple of minutes later the heavy gates that had been erected at the barrier were crashing open and the SOLDIER, the Turk, and the Ex-Mercenary found themselves walking into sector two. They air was starting to get heavier, and the damage done was really getting bad the more they traveled. Cement and metal scrap was littered everywhere, and even now fires raged in places that still had enough burnable material to sustain them. There was nothing left of most buildings but the frames and broken walls, and every so often a piece would fall absently from the side of some random place and create a clatter. Smoke flowed freely in the streets, but for some reason it was eerily quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the solemn crackle of the flames and the trio's own footsteps. They traveled for a bit, picking their way among the wreckage, until they got a little more inward of the sector. It was taking them longer then it should have to move forward because of the debris, but they managed.

"Are you sure you'll be alright going in farther, Turk?" Cloud asked then, stopping and turning to regard the red head that was lagging back a bit. Cloud had no idea why Reno thought he'd be able to handle the mako, or why Zack believed him, but already he was lagging and it wasn't a good sign. "The last thing I want to do is carry your sorry, mako poisoned ass back to the encampment."

Reno growled and picked up his pace, catching up to the two of them without effort. "I'll be fine chocobo boy. Just keep walking."

Cloud rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering something under his breath Zack thought sounded suspiciously like 'stupid fuck', as he continued walking. In Cloud's defense, he supposed it_ could _have been 'stupid Turk', not that it mattered much… Zack sighed at the two of them, and then chuckled to himself. This trip was certainly going to be… interesting, to say the least.

The more they traveled the heavier the atmosphere got, and only a few minutes in they could feel the mako radiation in the air. It caused a tingly sensation throughout their bodies, like their limbs had fallen asleep, and an itch crawled its way up their spines. It was also a heck of a lot hotter in this sector than the rest of the city, and they started to sweat profusely. The air became so heated that every breath burned their throats, but after a few moments they got used to it. Luckily for Cloud and Zack the mako and Jenova cells in their own bodies allowed them to continue without too much discomfort, and soon they adapted to the point that they hardly felt the effects. Meanwhile Reno said not a word to the wise as to how he was feeling, neither good nor bad to the situation. In fact, he seemed oddly quiet as they trekked on.

So, pushing aside their discomforts, the three pressed onward.

It was only thirty minutes later that Reno started lagging behind again, panting slightly. Zack looked back over his shoulder when he finally noticed, watching his friend worriedly. The Turk was trying hard to act as though nothing was wrong, but Zack could clearly see that he was starting strain himself to keep at Zack's and Cloud's pace. The mako was so bad here that it was even giving Cloud and himself trouble, and though he didn't show it, Zack felt pretty damn horrible. Cloud had, rather quietly, pointed out several minutes earlier that he was starting to feel ill and had asked about Zack's condition. He hadn't lied, he felt like shit - it's what mako did to you. The huge sword strapped to his back didn't help much either. Frowning he knew that neither of his companions would admit to being tired, let alone in the company of each other, so he decided to do it for them.

"Lets take a rest here…" Zack said, and his tone left no room for debate. Walking slowly over to a rather large chunk of horizontal cement that had fallen from a building, he took a seat on it and sighed, glad that he could rest a bit. Cloud and Reno didn't bother to say anything to each other, opting to move over and silently take seats themselves; Cloud choosing a spot next to Zack's left while Reno sat down against the side of a building to their immediate right.

They were in some kind of park, but the grass was burnt away and the trees were no more than stubs of charred black wood. What had once been nice paved walkways were now gray, dark spotted chucks of stone against dirt. The playground equipment was now only scattered bits of plastic and metal, and he swore he saw bits of a swing set caught in the fallen branches of one of the only surviving trees. Crumbling buildings surrounded them on all sides, looming black and malevolently over the entire area. The sky was even dark and gray, mirroring the ground below; clouds had moved in to block the sun. This far in they even spotted the silhouettes of people who'd been outside at the time of the explosion, having been incinerated by the blast. Their 'shadows' had been burnt into the ground and walls, something similar to what happened to people caught in an atomic blast. Despite the intense heat Cloud felt a chill run down his spine. "Cheery place."

"Yea… if you like misery ridden cesspools…" the Turk said, panting and looking up at the blond, managing to taunt Cloud even when he was exhausted. Cloud glared back and Zack rolled his eyes. Neither of the two caught it.

"Reminds me of a certain Turk's office." He muttered back, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning.

"I told Rude to clean it up, but no one listens to dear old Reno." The red head retorted, throwing his hands up in the air theatrically.

"How is your father anyway?"

That statement had been rather lame of Cloud, probably the heat and all, but Reno decided to answer anyway. He was just unable to help himself. "I dunno, why don't you ask Tifa?"

"Son of a--"

Reno held up his hand to silence the blond, tired of their little game of insults. He was feeling rather drained of energy all of a sudden and didn't know why. "Listen Cloud, shut up a minute. I'm trying to think over here."

"Don't hurt yourself." the blond replied, getting the last comment of their little argument in. In his current state, Reno didn't have a proper reply for that, so instead he simply growled at the blond from his place on the sidewalk. Just _what_ had he found so enticing about Strife again? Could someone remind him?

"Hey!" Zack said suddenly, jumping up from his seat and reaching for his Buster Sword. "Did either of you hear that?"

Cloud and Reno blinked and looked around, their eyes roaming over the area. Reno slowly rose from his seat and reached down for his nightstick, which rested at his waist, his hand gripping the handle. Cloud stood and reached for the hilt of his Ultima weapon, fingers ever so slowly curling around the steel. The three of them strained their ears to hear anything they could, but there was nothing in the air, not even the gentle hiss of the wind. It was dead silent…

Then a soft scratching noise was heard, faint but there, as though something scurried over the rubble. The trio looked around wildly, trying to pinpoint from where the noise had come, but it sounded to be from multiple directions.

The three of them backed up and away from the wall they'd been sitting at, drawing their respective weapons, their eyes darting back and forth. Once far enough away that they could see all around them the trio stood with their backs to each other, forming a tight circle, waiting for whatever it was to show itself. The noise got louder and louder, until each of the warriors wore dangerous looks, expecting something dark and horrid to come after them.

And then, like the pest it was, a giant cockroach crawled its way over the top of the wall the three of them had just vacated. It was huge; easily the size of a small truck, and it eyed the group like a hungry animal. Reno raised an eyebrow, Cloud blinked, and Zack tried not to laugh. So all the noises, moving shadows and sightings coming from the sector were just… giant cockroaches?

"Looks like that guy was right." Reno said, smirking. "If it came down to it the only things to survive a nuclear disaster will be the cockroaches…"

"No kidding." Cloud mumbled. "So what do we do about them?"

The rumbling started up again, the sounds echoing throughout the park. The three exchanged long stares and started looking around. They watched as hundreds of giant cockroaches started crawling over the wreckage, coming out of buildings and piles of rubble. They poured out of every nook and cranny, stirring up dust as they went. Within a moment these massive creatures surrounded them and any humor toward the situation dissipated immediately.

"Fuck." Reno muttered, still looking much the worse for wear. However, without missing a beat he drew his nightstick and hit the button to charged the electricity up, his eyes never wavering from the enemy as the black stick burst into a flurry of sparks. "Now if only we had a giant boot…"

"I guess we'll have to improvise." Zack muttered as the cockroaches charged them; their black eyes alight with hunger. What _had_ they been eating for the last six hours? Zack didn't want to think about it.

And so the battle began. Cloud and Zack cut down the roaches with wide swipes of their swords, splashing blood across anything and everything. Limbs of the bugs went flying, heads severed and flesh diced by the giant blades. Reno went about taking the creatures down one by one, striking at the cuticle points he knew would kill them. It seemed these enlarged bugs _really _did not like electricity and he used that to his advantage, never passing up an opportunity to get in a lucky shock.

Thanks to the mako energy the roaches bled glowing green liquid, and soon the three of them were so caked in their enemies blood that they themselves looked like they were glowing as brightly as the Lifestream. But for every roach they took down, three more took its place, and the battle continued for longer than it should have taken. These monsters weren't much of a challenge, but even the easiest of opponents could wear you down after seventy or so came at you…

"We... huff… can't keep this up much longer!" Zack shouted over the screams of the roaches as they died, taking a moment to wipe the slime from his face before swinging the Buster Sword again, severing the front legs off of one of the larger bugs as it came at him. Wasting no time he jabbed the large steel sword through the top of the bug's head when it fell, splashing yet more slime across his legs. Zack then ducked and rolled to the left to avoid the swing of another roach's leg, jumping at the creature in attack and slaughtering it mercilessly.

Behind him Cloud was dealing with his own roaches, smashing his blade broadside into one while turning and slashing clean through the head of another. With the dexterity he was known for he jumped back slashed at yet another roach, then twirled around and cut through another of the bugs, glowing green liquid flying in every direction. Death swirled around the duo, their enemies falling sluggishly to the ground, usually dead before they even hit. When Cloud got a moment he turned to try and locate the last of their party, calling out to the man when he didn't see him. "Reno!"

A moment passed and they got no answer, so Cloud called again. Yet another moment passed and Cloud thought the worst had happened when they got no answer. But then, faintly, they heard a return "What!?" sounding above the noise. Zack and Cloud turned to try and locate the noise, and it turned out that Reno had managed his way all the way across the park. They could see him, just barely, standing atop one of the many bugs. He fried the unlucky beast with his nightstick, which Cloud figured was on the highest voltage, and then flipped through the air from the top of the dead carcass to another living roach and shocked the life out of that one. It fell moments later, dead, and Reno ran along the top of the thing and sprang yet again from the dead bug's carcass to another living one. This kept Reno mostly out of harms way of being double-teamed – a smart idea on Reno's part. While Cloud and Zack took them out from the ground, Reno was taking them out from above. Cloud hadn't known Reno was that agile…

Turning Cloud cut down the nearest roach with another swift movement. "We can't last much longer!" he shouted to the red head at the top of his lungs, Zack joining him to fight at his side. The two began to hack and slash their way, back to back, toward where Reno was performing acts of acrobatic combat. "We need a plan of some kind to get out of here! Are there any exits you can see from up there!?"

"I'm working on it!!… Zack! My signal!!" came the return shout and Cloud blinked curiously at Zack, who simply nodded to himself and then continued fighting.

-

-

Meanwhile, Reno had been slowly making his way toward the west side of the park. He remembered the upper plate of sector two well - he'd once lived in the neighborhood. So, when he'd flipped, shocked, and slaughtered his way over to the west wall of rubble he was glad to find that the power box there was still in tact. The green colored box was labeled with yellow warning and caution prints, and Reno flipped down from the top of another dead cockroach to land beside the thing. Panting heavily he pulled his sleek black handgun from beneath his jacket and clicked off the safety, firing one well-placed shot at the lock that kept people from the wires inside. The lock came apart immediately.

A noise caught his attention then and, turning, Reno fired off another shot at a cockroach that had noticed him. The bullet found its mark in the center of the creature's forehead, or whatever kind of forehead a cockroach had, but it did not down the bug. So he let off an entire round into the bug's eyes, not even waiting to see if the thing died before he turned back and opened the power box.

Reaching into his jacket pocket Reno fidgeted around for a specific materia, pulling out a Barrier materia and slipping it into his bangle. He concentrated on the gently glowing magic materia, easily calling up the will to cast a spell, then shouted "REFLECT." The spell immediately launched into the form of a dome around him and Reno reached roughly into the power box…

-

-

Across the battlefield Zack and Cloud looked up when they felt a spell being cast, watching as a bright flash came from the area Reno was fighting in. Both men recognized it as the Reflect spell, and Zack took that as the signal Reno had been talking about. Throwing out his arm with the bracer on it he quickly switched two linked materia, then shouted "REFLECT ALL." The same flash erupted around them and a dome circled Cloud and himself, the spell wrapping around them. Then… they waited.

-

-

Meanwhile, Reno had been waiting until he'd seen the flash of the Reflect spell, but with that clear he yanked hard on one of the thicker cables and ripped it from its connectors. The sparking end of the wire flashed and burst into a frenzy of electricity, which circled and crackled harshly. Seeing this Reno wasted no time in pulling the wire as far as it would go. Then he dunked it, rather unceremoniously, into a pool of the cockroach's glowing green blood and then jumped back as fast as he could.

The spectacle that followed was both brutal and somehow, very, very satisfying. The electricity immediately lashed out through the pool of cockroach blood, which was trailing off to another pool of blood, which trailed off to yet another pool of blood. From there the electricity traveled down the different thin trails of glowing liquid that lead all across the battlefield; and with the hundreds of cockroaches in the area nearly half of them were shocked to death in the process.

Just to top it all off, the highly concentrated mako in the cockroach blood reacted _very_ violently to the electricity. The end result was an explosion of energy so powerful that it engulfed not only the destroyed park but several of the surrounding blocks as well. Bugs exploded everywhere in bubbling, electrified bits of charred flesh. The Reflect spell that the three had cast had been barely enough to bounce the explosion back into the crowd of insects, protecting the three of them from both the harmful electricity and the final explosion.

The smoke cleared agonizingly slowly, revealing a foreign landscape. The ruined area was even worse off now than it had been; even the dirt was charred black. What was left of the stumps of trees were on fire and benches had caught alight as well. Most of the rubble had been blown back several meters and what had once been at least somewhat buildings were now only smoking craters. When it was clear that nothing besides themselves had survived, Cloud, Zack and Reno all fell to their knees, exhausted, and thanked the Gods that their spells had held up.

The three of them let out relieved sighs and Zack flopped down onto his back, the Buster Sword clunking against a random piece of cement. "What a day." He muttered, smiling despite himself. "I don't know if I'll be able to get back up. This spot is starting to feel very comfy, despite the jagged piece of metal sticking into my side." The dark haired SOLDIER said, grimacing.

"God I hope this is the only problem we run into today." Cloud said, setting his Ultima weapon down beside him and wiping his forehead and face free of green slime.

Panting heavily Reno stood up from across the way and walked slowly over to the other two men, swaying slightly from side to side as he went. But, nonetheless, he had a cocky smirk on his face and his sea green eyes were alight with mischief. "Well boys, how about… that… for a plan?" he said, and it was clear in his voice that he was completely exhausted. Cloud and Zack weren't fairing much better.

Zack chuckled to himself and Cloud couldn't help but admit that Reno's quick thinking had saved their asses. So, grudgingly, he said "Smart thinking…"

Reno flopped down beside Zack, grinning like a fool, and then he too lay on his back. Hearing Cloud Strife give him a compliment made him all warm inside, like he'd accomplished some goal he hadn't known he had. He already knew why, but he was much to tired to tell his own psyche to screw off, so he just decided to bask in the warm glow that spread through him. Cloud and Zack were too tired to notice, or care, that Reno was smiling to himself anyway. Besides, they'd probably think he was just happy about his job well done…

A few minutes passed in silence. The trio caught their breath and rested during their short break, but before long Zack decided that it was time to make battle plans. So, sitting up, he turned to look at both Cloud and Reno.

"So…" he said. "What now? Should we continue, or go back?"

Reno stretched his arms out from his place on the ground, heedless of the dirt, and shrugged as he sat up. "I'm continuing." He stated, reaching over to take hold of his nightstick and clipping it back to his belt. "We're only nine streets from the remains of the reactor, if there are any. The edge of the plate is coming up."

"What makes you think you can go any farther?" Cloud asked the red head, raising an eyebrow. "You're worse off than either Zack or I… I can tell you're ready to drop."

Reno frowned and made an interesting face, an expression half saying 'mind your own business' and half saying 'fuck you for noticing'. "I'll be fine" He muttered, standing to prove his point.

Zack, acting as the peaceful point of the group, stood up as well and put a hand on Cloud's shoulder. He bent down and whispered into the blond's ear when Reno turned and starting walking away from them, saying "Lay off a bit, Cloud. We're just as tired as he is…"

"It just doesn't make sense Zack. Why could Reno come in here at all? He should have collapsed five feet passed the barrier..." The savior of the world said, throwing his hand out back the way they'd come. Standing, he picked up his Ultima weapon and sheathed it. Zack followed suit, picking up his own weapon and sheathing it. "I mean, seriously… Reno is just a normal human being, right? It just doesn't make any sense…"

Zack bit his bottom lip and looked away, sighing before he turned back to regard his blond friend. "I think that if he'd wanted us to know then he'd of told us by now." The dark haired man said and shrugged, turning to follow in the direction Reno had disappeared in. "For now, I think its enough that he's in here helping us out… Besides, fighting amongst ourselves right now wouldn't do us any good."

Cloud thought for a moment, then grudgingly decided Zack was right. "I suppose you're right Zack - as usual."

----------------------

The two of them started a light jog to catch up to the Turk, who had managed his way two blocks over from them in the short time they'd been talking. They spotted him picking his way among the rubble and debris, pushing forward without looking back; currently he was rapidly climbing up a rather large pile of brick. He looked down at them from the top of the pile when they caught up, eyeing Cloud up and down slowly, then he smirked and called down to them. "So, you decided to come after all?"

Zack shook his head and smiled, yelling up "Of course! I couldn't just leave you on your own, could I? What would I tell Rude when we came back? And poor Elena would just be so distraught!"

Reno chuckled. "Well come on then, we haven't got all day." and then he turned around. For a moment Reno said and did nothing, his back to them, simply staring out over whatever there was on the other side of the bricks. It seemed pretty interesting, for Reno didn't move for another couple of seconds. Cloud raised an eyebrow at the Turk's unmoving form, unable to see the expression on the man's face, and then Reno disappeared down the other side of the rubble and out of sight.

"Well…" Zack said, turning to look at Cloud. "We'd better hurry up or he'll leave us behind."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" the blond joked, starting his climb over the rubble blocking the road. It was harder than it looked to get up the side, and Cloud was impressed a second time at Reno's athletic skills. Things he thought were sturdy slipped and moved under his weight, and things that looked hazardous to step on were usually even worse. The way the Turk had just scurried up the pile was impressive, more so now that Cloud could feel the surge of mako in the air. He was panting by the time he'd made it half way up, and Zack wasn't fairing much better. The reactor must be just ahead.

When the two of them finally crested the top of the hill of bricks the sight that greeted them was not a pretty one. The buildings, the street… it all just kind of stopped. The rest of the sector was barren, nothing but one huge crater dug into the steel of the upper plate. Any trace of life in the area had long since been wiped out, and what should have been the reactor didn't exist any more. Beyond the edge of the plate the field was nothing but a large patch of dirt, looking oddly out of place surrounded by fertile grassland.

Sliding down the side of the pile of rubble Cloud and Zack came to a stop beside Reno, who was waiting at the edge of the crater. The three of them looked out over the vast metal wasteland, their eyes searching for any kind of sign that there might be something out there, and for long minutes they said nothing. Then, finally, Cloud frowned and blinked. He narrowed his eyes and pointed out toward the center of the crater. "There's something out there."

Shifting his sea green gaze to where Cloud was pointing, Reno held a hand over his eyes to shade them and squinted. It was hard to see but there was, indeed, a black spot among the land of gray nothingness. And from the way it was laying it seemed… human? "Someone survived?" the Turk muttered, disbelieving what he was seeing.

"No way." Zack commented, squinting and looking to where the other two were looking. "We must be too far back to make it out properly… That can't be a person…"

"So lets go investigate. Its what we're here to do, after all." Reno muttered, jumping off the edge of the street and into the crater. He slid down the side of the rounded hole until it wasn't so steep that he could walk, and turned to wait for Cloud and Zack. They exchanged looks and followed without question.

The walk was tiring and the closer they made it to the center of the crater, the hotter it got. The mako radiation in the air was so thick Cloud figured he could cut it with a knife and would probably end up with a slice of mako. They pressed on, however, the thought that there might be someone alive out there, however unlikely it was, spurred at least Cloud and Zack onward. Reno just trudged along in front of them, saying nothing. Behind him walked Cloud, and behind Cloud walked Zack, one after the other.

When they got close enough to the 'person' it was Reno who first drew his weapon in shock and jumped back, the nightstick lighting up with electricity so suddenly that Zack and Cloud both involuntarily drew their swords. After a moment had passed and Cloud realized that they weren't being attacked, he muttered "What the hell?…" and raised an eyebrow. Stepping forward he looked around Reno and saw something that caused him to frown and take a few steps back as well, the tip of the Ultima weapon lifting into a battle ready position.

"What?" Zack queried, the last in their little line. Stepping forward, Buster Sword at the ready, he looked over Cloud's shoulder to see what the fuss was about. He had to blink, rub at his eyes with his free hand, and then blink again to realize it wasn't the heat playing with his mind. _"SEPH ?!"_

Directly in the center of the crater, on his back, lay Sephiroth. Unconscious in a shallow pool of liquid mako, his long platinum hair fanned out around his half naked body, floating along the surface of the liquid. Sephiroth was wearing nothing but a tattered pair of black pants and a pair of boots, but even without his leathers he looked as ominous as ever. His expression was calm and almost peaceful in his unconscious state, but that was of little importance to the three of them. In fact, Cloud's and Reno's eyes shifted a few feet from him to where the Masamune lay gloomily, just out of the man's reach.

They turned their attention back to Sephiroth when the mako flashed softly. In a somewhat awe like state, they watched as the mako lapped gently against the demigod's skin, the glow dying and the liquid evaporating into Lifestream ever so slowly. When the mako was gone, dispersing into either Lifestream or radiation, Reno and Cloud shared worried looks. It was Reno who finally spoke up.

"We should kill 'em" He muttered.

"**_What?!"_** Zack yelped, jumping in front of the two of them suddenly. He looked at the red haired Turk, whose face was nothing but a mask of indifference, and frowned. "You can't be serious."

"Why not?" Reno asked, his face dark, which lead Zack to believe Reno wasn't joking. "It'll save us all a lot of fucking trouble."

Reno had fallen into a 'strictly business' attitude, Zack knew - he'd seen Sephiroth and Cloud do the same thing when in a situation they considered dangerous. Speaking of which, Zack turned his gaze to Cloud. The blond was frowning darkly and staring at Sephiroth's prone form like he was actually considering the option of killing the man. After everything Cloud had been through sure he could understand Cloud being nervous, but come on! Sephiroth was their friend! "Cloud, you aren't going to let Reno kill Seph, are you?" Zack asked, sheathing his sword and crossing his arms over his chest.

Cloud shifted his glowing cerulean gaze to Zack, frowning. "But Zack… " was all he said, trailing off and leaving the sentence unfinished.

"Cloud?…" Zack pleaded, taking a step toward the blond and uncrossing his arms. "He's your friend…"

Reno snorted in amusement, reaching into his jacket and pulling out his handgun. He slipped the empty clip out and fed another into the gun, throwing the used one behind him. "Nice friend you have there, Zack." He muttered, shifting his sea green eyes to the gun and then back up to Zack. "Look, the crazy bastard has to die while we have the chance. The last thing anyone wants is another Meteor Incident on our hands. He nearly wiped out the world last time. This time we may not be so lucky…."

Zack shook his head and glared back at the red head, frowning just as darkly as the Turk was. "You don't know what state of mind he's in. For all you know he could be back to normal! With Jenova dead Sephiroth won't have anyone manipulating him! He'll be the old Seph again…" the dark haired man said, shifting his worried eyes to Cloud. "Right Cloud?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes and looked between Zack and the unconscious form of Sephiroth, trying to sort out his mixed feelings on the whole thing. Kill Sephiroth, thus possibly preventing a worldwide disaster of unimaginable magnitude… or… spare the man and hope he's back to normal? Every logical part of him screamed out to kill him, agreeing with Reno one hundred percent; but there was still that little voice that shouted _'no!'_ at him relentlessly. In the end he shook his head to clear it and sighed.

"Screw this, I don't care what anyone says, the bastard dies… Consider it payback for killing Tseng…" Reno said in a soft voice, stepping forward. He only got a few steps when he found his way blocked by the form of his dark haired friend. Reno stepped up to the SOLDIER, face-to-face, and frowned. Zack was, without a doubt, no force to be reckoned with. However, neither was Reno to be taken lightly. "Move." He demanded.

"I'm not going to let you kill Sephiroth." The SOLDIER replied, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Be reasonable Zack--"

"--I am being reasonable, Reno! I'm not going to let you kill my friend!" Zack interrupted, and he again crossed his arms over his chest. This time, however, it was in a much more threatening manner. "You'll have to get by me first..."

"Don't make me fight you Zack...But if that's what it'll take, I will beat you." the Turk growled threateningly.

"Then fight me, I'm not letting you through."

Suddenly something caught Reno's attention and he smirked, shifting his eyes past Zack's face to look at something behind the dark haired man. "Looks like I'll have to do no such thing after all..."

"What?!" Zack said, suddenly looking over his shoulder and spinning around. "Cloud!"

While the two of them had been arguing over what to do about the unconscious Sephiroth, Cloud had moved over to the man's side. There he had looked down into the face of his enemy, his friend, the man who had killed Aeris, and had debated over the proper course of action. To spare one life… or to take it? The decision lay in his hands like a heavy burden…

Cloud had decided, however, and had taken his Ultima weapon in both hands and lifted it high into the air. It was poised above Sephiroth, aimed for a swing that would sever the demigod's head from his shoulders. The purple blade shone ominously in the faint light, the glow brightening as the blond prepared for a single attack – one swift strike that would kill.

"Cloud, don't!" Zack said, but did not make a move in fear that it would make the blond swing his sword even faster. "He's our friend, don't do this!"

Cloud Strife, Ex-AVALANCHE leader and savior of the world sighed and shook his head slowly from side to side. When he spoke it was in a cold and chilling voice, his cerulean eyes dark. "I'm sorry Zack, but there is a possibility Sephiroth is still evil… The lives of millions of people outweigh the life of a single man, no matter how great he is… I just can't take that chance..." he paused then and looked down into the face of his enemy, his friend, once more...and possibly for the last time. "Sephiroth must die."

And then Cloud allowed his blade to fall - a swing that meant to kill.

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**--- To Be Continued ---**

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_Author's Notes:_

1. I really had a hard time writing this chapter simply because there was A LOT of stuff going on in it. People were everywhere and there were tones of emotions that I had to play with, not to mention the dialogue and banter of the characters. You know that little spat between Reno and Cloud before they get attacked by giant mutant cockroaches? Yea, it took me fifteen minutes to come up with it. I enjoyed writing it though; a lot of this chapter was fun to do. I only hope it all came out properly…

2. No responses today, sorry guys. It seems that Ffnet is taking down stories with responses in them, getting the authors into a bit of trouble. But, like always, thank you guys for all of your wonderful reviews! It means so much to me to know that the people reading this fic are sticking with me and my horrid writing skills. Blah! Thanks a million guys.

3. Again reviews, comments and criticism are always welcome. I like to hear about what my readers liked and disliked about the chapters so that I can continue to improve!.

Anyway, that's about it. Stay tuned for chapter eight!

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


	8. Trouble in Paradise

_Beginning Notes:_ I'm seriously sorry about the huge delay. And again, without warning or anything. Gah, damn my unstable computer and Internet connection! Damn you I say! Thanks to all my loyal readers. Fear not, I have not forgotten you! This chapter is extra long (Can't you tell I'm trying to make up for the delay?) so I hope you enjoy.

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters. I am not making money off this fiction. I only own my own creations ;;

_Chapter Warning:_ Language.

**Legend**

'_Comment(s) in Italics & apostrophes'_ –Thoughts / inner musings

_-Comment(s) in Italics & dashes-_ –Other mental voices

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**Complicated Souls**

Written by Isrea Ishiida

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**Chapter Eight**

Trouble in Paradise

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"_Sephiroth must die."_ It resounded in his ears so loud that he thought he'd go deaf. The blade descended, fell so fast and yet so agonizingly slowly, its glow ominous like the purple hue of sunset. He was really going to do it; he was really going to kill Sephiroth. Zack watched in horror as never, not once, did Cloud waver in his determination. He was actually going to do it!

His hand reached up before he even realized what he was doing. "SEPH!" he screamed, gripping the handle of his Buster Sword even as the Ultima weapon came dangerously close to his prone friend. Zack drew his massive weapon in but a breath, swinging it with a swift fling of his arm that sent it soaring through the air at a sharp thirty-degree angle. It cut the air with an audible whine and the resulting clang was so loud Reno covered his ears.

Cloud blinked as quite suddenly a large chunk of steel he recognized as the Buster Sword embedded itself halfway into the ground before him. It was angled just enough that it barely brushed Sephiroth as it went, and ended up nearly horizontal over his body, a protective barrier against harm. The Ultima weapon's blade slammed down against it, steel against steel screaming at each other as sparks were thrown, and for a long time after no one moved an inch.

Then, finally, Cloud breathed a sigh of relief and fell to his knees. Loosing his grip on his sword and letting it clatter to the ground, it fell from his limp fingers. "Oh thank God…" he whispered, relief flooding his face. He couldn't believe he'd come so close to actually killing Sephiroth! He was as surprised with himself as Zack was. To think, moments ago, he'd actually attempted to kill his friend without giving him the benefit of the doubt. He would have silenced Sephiroth before the man could even have a chance to defend himself. If it hadn't been for Zack… Cloud felt like he was going to be sick.

Zack was at his side instantly, though he was more worried about Sephiroth than he was about Cloud. The dark haired SOLDIER pulled his Buster Sword free and began to check over the demi-god for any injuries. When satisfied, he stood up to check on Cloud, who looked pale but fine.

"I was really going to do it." The blond mumbled, then shook his head. "I was really going to…"

"You still should." Reno interjected from where he stood, seemingly unfazed by Cloud's show of momentary weakness – maybe he just refused to let it register. "Like I said, it would do us all a favor…" he raised his gun, pointed it at Sephiroth, and narrowed his eyes. "But if you wont, I will."

"_Zack!"_

"Reno!"

"**Fuck!"**

The words all came out at the same time and it was hard to decide who exactly had said what. When it came down to it, no one cared.

Zack jumped between him and his target just as Reno pulled the trigger, the loud crack echoing as the bullet exploded from the barrel and punctured the air. The Turk was forced to, at the last minute, shove his aim to the side to avoid killing the other man. As it was the shot grazed the SOLDIER, ripping open a light wound in his side. Nothing serious, give it a few minutes and it would stop bleeding, but a wound none-the-less.

Zack didn't even flinch.

No one moved. It was like they were all frozen in place, in time. Not even a muscle twitched as they stared at each other, gaze's transfixed on opposite eyes. Long moments passed and the silence began to press in on them. Their eyes locked, Zack's forest green eyes verses Reno's deep jade ones, and the two of them waged a silent battle of wills.

Reno was the first to do anything, simply holstering his gun and turning away. "You all right?" he asked softly, almost inaudibly. His actions said more than his words, though, for Zack knew he'd won this spat. Cloud had seen the light and, though Reno was probably still blind, he wasn't going to fight it anymore. They were going to take Seph back with them - _alive_.

"Fine." Zack replied, relieved to see that Reno had given in. "a little tender, but fine."

"I'll have a hard time explaining this back at headquarters." Reno murmured, but didn't turn around. "No one will like this. I'm sure you don't care but _you_ don't have to listen to the executives complain about it. I do."

"You won't have to." Zack shrugged, sitting down and pulling up his shirt to take a look at the wound, which had, like Reno suspected, already stopped bleeding. No infection was likely; the air was so hot that it would burn up the bacteria before it even got to the wound. "I'll deal with the execs. I'm sure Reeve will understand."

"So what do we do now, lug Sephiroth back to the encampment so he can get arrested? You know that's what's going to happen." Cloud suddenly spoke back up, now standing at Zack's side, sheathing his sword. Neither had noticed him move and was slightly surprised. Cloud, apparently, recovered fast. That and the fact that the gunshot had shocked him back into his senses, and this was not a time for self-melodramatics.

"Go around the encampment?" Zack suggested. "It should only take an extra half hour, give or take. We should be able to scale the debris and get out through another sector, even carrying Seph. That or we could climb down the side of Midgar and try another way in, but I don't think that'll work."

"Hmph. Not a good idea – either of them." Reno muttered. "Even you guys wont last taking the long way 'round. I'm not even sure we'll make it back in one piece, considering how long we've been sitting around the worst part of the sector, talking. Better to just risk it and get back."

"Right then!" Zack said, standing and sheathing his own weapon. Hauling the unconscious and defenseless Sephiroth over his shoulder a minute later, the SOLDIER smirked and started out the way they'd come. "Let's go!"

It was nearly twenty minutes later that Zack carrying Sephiroth, Cloud carrying two swords, and Reno attempting to carry himself were trekking back towards the entrance of sector two. Cramped in what one could consider a small alleyway, but was in actuality a debris stricken street, they marched along in single file. With not much to say and no one interested in conversation, all was silent.

The park they'd torched earlier was at their backs, fading into the distance, and now only damaged houses and torn away shops could be seen. The fires had died by now, but the radiation was still prominent in the air. They had to stop on several occasions to catch their breath and this particular time was no different.

"Okay guys, lets take a breather." The dark haired SOLDIER muttered, glad that the last time they'd pushed through here they'd made at least a semi-clear path. It was hard enough just to walk, but to move around cement as well? Nope, he could certainly do without that.

Cloud and Zack sat down on the curb in silence, each breathing a sigh of tired relief as they did so. Reno just plopped down in the middle of the street, content to stay where he was. Sephiroth's still prone form was gently laid at Zack's side, and Reno snorted in scorn. That bastard was getting treated better then they were, in his opinion.

_'The bastard should just be left here to rot. Tossed in the gutter and left for dead. That or I'll kill 'em myself… But then again… what happens if he's back to normal? I have to admit that Sephiroth was an okay guy before he went psycho. Back in the old days, he'd known and hadn't said a thing… He was one of the few people I trusted. I didn't like him much, but trusted him… even if he was… who he was… Then the crazy bugger went and destroyed a whole fucking village, killed Zack, betrayed me and nearly made me try to… Fuck, I can't even get mad at him properly! This isn't right. Why am I having second thoughts? Sephiroth is a psycho and there isn't anything that's going to change that. He… he killed Tseng for God's sake! Am I just going to forget everything that happened? No… Even if he's sane, Sephiroth is still on my Black List. He's going to have a lot of proving to do if he doesn't want to be stalked everywhere he goes… Hell, might do it anyway.'_

"What's the glare for?"

"Eh-?" Reno suddenly blinked and focused his gaze. He'd been looking at Zack while thinking about Sephiroth, and though he hadn't meant to, the frown he'd been wearing had slipped into a heated glare. The dark haired SOLDIER probably thought he'd been glaring at him and now looked confused, if anything. "Nothing, just thinking. Sorry."

"About what?"

"Nothing."

"About what?" Zack wasn't one to relent so easily. It was another part of the SOLDIER's character that Reno was unsure of - good thing, or bad thing? Maybe a little bit of both.

"Knock it off."

"Knock off what?"

Okay, now he was just deliberately being annoying and Reno knew it. Cloud knew it too and chuckled. "Just drop it." The red head mumbled. Reno could appreciate the fact that Zack was trying to cheer him up, could even thank him, but now wasn't the time and this wasn't the place to be doing it.

"Alright, lets go." Cloud announced finally, still used to being in charge. No one really had the strength to argue.

Reno moved to stand and found that it was a lot harder to get up than it had been to sit down. He nearly lost his balance and ended up feeling like an idiot when he had to correct himself to keep from falling on his ass. No one had said anything, either understanding or to tired to try, but he figured Cloud had a pretty snide remark sitting in that little mind of his. Just to be cautious he threw the spiky, blond haired young man a glare as he stood up with what was left of his dignity and marched off. Cloud snickered behind him.

"Sheez…" Zack rolled his eyes heavenward as he picked up his 'cargo' and started off after the two of them.

Ten minutes later the sun was high overhead, adding the full force of the afternoon heat onto the still intense mako radiation. They rested more often, walked at a slower pace, and for a while things were looking up. But, as luck would have it, they encountered even more problems.

"What is THAT?" Cloud stuttered, coming to a dead stop at the foot of what could only be described as a giant roadblock - a roadblock that had otherwise not been there before.

_Everything _was shoved into one huge spot in the road, reaching from building to building and leaving no room to pass. Leftovers of a car, rock fragments, steel, cement, charred tables and God knows what else was all crammed together. It was a big pile of junk that towered high and steep, something none of them looked forward to climbing… It was over three stories tall! That lead them to wonder how it had gotten there in the first place, for they had come this way earlier and the junk hadn't been there. It all seemed kind of natural with the way it all fell into place, which would have lead one to believe it wasn't man made. They were still very cautious.

"Guess we gotta climb." Zack commented.

Reno huffed in irritation, starting up the pile of junk first. Cloud and Zack nimbly followed. Sure, they could have gone around it, but it would have taken them much to long to find another route. That would also require backtracking, something none of them wished to do. So, in the end, they had no other choice but to climb the thing.

While climbing they were reminded of the pile of rocks they'd climbed back by the Mako Reactor. If anything it was because of the footing on this pile of crap. Things they thought were safe slipped and fell away as soon as they put their foot down, and other things that looked hazardous usually were. It took longer than they would have liked and even Reno was having a hard time. He was eventually forced to slow his pace.

This didn't bode well for Cloud, who was running out of patience.

"Can't you climb any faster?" the blond piped up from behind Reno when they were about halfway up, slowed by the red head's pace and not liking it one bit. He wanted to leave and he wanted to leave now! About another twenty-five minutes and they'd be out of the sector and home free… sort of. Now if only Reno would _hurry up_ they could get out of this infested hole.

"Fucking go around, Blondie." Not the best response, but then, Reno wasn't thinking straight. He was sweating, dizzy, exhausted, short of patience and likely to fall down the damn roadblock if he went any faster, so for all he cared Strife could go to hell.

"How about I just make you move?" Cloud snapped back. With his sword on his back and Zack's fastened in a strange manner across the sheath of his Ultima weapon, if only to create at least some kind of balance, Reno wasn't exactly intimidated. It looked like a funny plus sign to the red head, and it dwarfed Cloud in comparison; he didn't much seem threatening with that contraption on his back. Reno looked over his shoulder with something akin to 'try me' written all over his face.

"Don't make me come up there!" Zack suddenly said, only a few steps down from Cloud. He was being a bit more careful than the other two, not having only his own life to worry about, but Sephiroth's as well. Even with that he was hot on their heels, which said something about both of them. "Because I swear if I have to split you two up neither of you are going to like it!"

Reno growled and was about to say something when, quite suddenly, the pile of debris he was standing on started to rumble and shake violently. It took all of his effort to keep his balance as things started coming loose and falling down the side of the wreck. Cloud backed up a bit and nearly fell off pile himself before catching his balance. Zack looked up in surprise, mid climb between a safe spot and a safe spot. All the poor SOLDIER could do was cling to the face of the junk, hoping not to get hit with falling objects.

'_What's going on?'_ Cloud thought franticly, grasping at a piece of scrap and, to his mild surprise, ending up grabbing the back end of a truck. Reno wasn't as lucky as he was and fell, head first, down the side of the slope after horribly loosing his footing. Cloud immediately reached out to grab at him when he noticed but by that time it was too late. All he heard as the red head tumbled past him was **"SHIIIIT!"** and then a loud thud.

The rumbling stopped abruptly and both the SOLDIER and the Savior climbed down as quickly as they could. What greeted them was not a very happy sight.

The red head lay on his side, unconscious, face scrunched up in pain. Cloud could see the bit of red liquid running from the length of the Turk's crimson bangs and onto the ground, a thin trail that spoke volumes. "Crap." was all he could say.

"Here, I've got a mastered Restore." Zack muttered as he knelt down next to Cloud and laid Sephiroth on the ground. The blond hefted Reno up a bit to find the actual wound and, when they discovered the long but shallow gash, they were a bit more relieved. "Good, nothing too serious. Looks like the skull is in tact, which means he didn't actually fall on his head. Now all that's left to worry about is the possible concussion and side effects." Zack muttered, more to himself than anything, as he held out his bracer and spoke "Cure3" under his breath. The orb in his bracer shone a bright green before it died a moment later, the spell invoked.

The next thing Reno knew someone was pulling him to his feet, the last traces of a tingle in his mind lifting as his vision cleared. He immediately wished he was still lying down. The world began to spin and his stomach lurched, causing him to lean to the side and groan in misery. He felt incredibly weak at the moment, felt sick, worse than he'd felt in a very long time. Where was he? What was going on?

"You okay?" he heard a voice from his left… it was Zack. His world finally stopped spinning and the red head straightened, only now able to recall where he was and with whom.

"Fine." He mumbled, rubbing the dull ache in the back of his skull. "What the hell happened?"

"You fell" Zack supplied, indicating the large roadblock. Cloud was only a few feet away, looking upward in question. One could tell his expression without even seeing it – a frown. They had found it a bit weird that the thing had started to shake like that, and both men had their suspicions about the whole experience.

"That's right…" Reno muttered, frowning himself as the memories flooded back. "Damn thing started shaking. What was that all about?" He already had a suspicion, however, being one to question everything and to suspect anything.

"Dunno, earthquake? Anyway Reno, look at me."

Yea, like he really had a choice. Zack grabbed his chin and shifted his head in his direction; examining his eyes carefully before making the red head prove that he didn't have minor amnesia. Then Zack tried to make him prove that his motor functions worked properly. "Look, I'm fine!" Reno growled after a while, only able to take so much of this. Shouldn't Zack be over helping Strife or something? It was bad enough when he went for check-ups, but this was too much. He didn't even put up with Elena or Rude scrutinizing him like that.

Zack only frowned at this, thinking of something. The SOLDIER then grabbed Reno's right wrist and yanking him sharply forward.

The Turk stumbled about two feet, unable to catch himself or even resist the pull of the older man. It wasn't until he'd stopped himself from falling over did he try and wrench his arm from Zack's hold; this didn't work as well as he'd planned. Reno was unable to contend with Zack's strength and thus unable to free himself. "Knock it off Zack, let go."

"I'm barely holding on." The SOLDIER replied, letting go of the Turk to prove his point. He had had Reno's arm in only a loose grip and the younger man had not been able to do anything about it. Reno glared at him and expected an explanation, so he gave him one. "You hit your head, Reno. The fall caused partial loss of motor functions, probably an internal bruise on your brain. You wont be able to use your right arm efficiently, and your body is weak… It's probably just temporary though and we will be able to heal it more efficiently when we get back to the encampment. Until then, take it easy."

Reno tested his arm and found, much to his ire, that Zack had been right. His arm didn't respond the way he wanted it to, and when it did, it was usually extremely weak. This frustrated him to no end and he could only hope the effects were temporary. If it were indeed a bruise, this wouldn't last long… maybe a day? Maybe less? "Fine, lets just go."

Rolling his eyes Zack shifted his gaze to Cloud. "So what happened anyway?" Zack asked. Cloud was still looking at the roadblock, probably looking for a sign as to why what had happened, had happened. "Any idea?" Of course they had one, but the two of them had fallen into an act. If they were being watched, whoever was out there wouldn't catch on that they knew. They hadn't spoken of the plan, hadn't communicated at all, but there was just this understanding between them, as if to say _'Play dumb.'_

"Nothing." Cloud said, shrugging his shoulders without turning around. "This sector's plate is unstable, so it might have been just a slight shake. Or, we might have kicked something free on the pile that caused it to start collapsing… only problem is that it didn't quite collapse. Its hard to say what happened."

Hefting Sephiroth up and over his shoulder again Zack turned back to Cloud, amusement evident in his voice. That amusement, however, concealed worry and suspicion. "So you want to carry Red up there, or should we find another way?"

"No, I don't think so." Reno cut in, stopping the blond from answering and making a violently negative wave of his hand. "There is no fucking way anyone is carrying me anywhere." He fumed. "I'll be fine." So, they were playing dumb. Good thinking on their part.

"Looks like we're finding another way then." Cloud stated simply, turning suspiciously away from the roadblock and looking around. There was an apartment building to their left and a shop to their right, and debris filled any sort of alleyways. They were closed in on all sides, so all that was left was to backtrack.

"Then we backtrack." Zack agreed, turning and leading back the way they'd come. Reno thought to say something snide about the fact that he could still climb but figured they wouldn't change their mind no matter what he said, so he clamped his mouth shut and simply settled for gritting his teeth.

They only got about ten steps.

"Hmm."

They all spun around instinctively at the sound and drew their weapons respectively, all but Zack, who had no weapon to draw, face's grim and senses sharp. So their suspicions had proved right; they weren't surprised. Now all that was left was to find the culprit behind all of this.

"What the…" the words were really the only thing that came to mind; there was just no other way to describe it. Directly at the foot of the roadblock was… himself. Two sets of cerulean eyes stared into each other, one Cloud's eyes full of life and the other's dull and void… Cloud's eyes narrowed suspiciously but the other didn't do anything, simply continuing to stare at him as though his clone were lifeless... Lifeless like a doll's eyes; like he used to be. Its eyes were… so very empty…

He knew it was completely irrational; that what he was seeing couldn't possibly be himself. His head swung around to Zack but the dark haired SOLDIER was staring at his clone as though it were the most fearsome thing in the world. _'What the?'_ he asked himself, and then shifted his eyes to the other side of him, to Reno, who looked even paler than Zack had been. The poor bastard was actually… _'He's scared… No… not just scared… he's downright terrified.'_

Then he felt it, or more heard it than anything. It was a voice, soft and subtle, calling him, demanding and completely irresistible. And with the voice came a feeling, came a thought, and it wove its way into his mind with ease. It was a feeling of pure, unbridled fear that trickled into his mind and wrapped around his brain. It made him turn back to his clone slowly, fearfully, his eyes widening with what he saw.

What he saw was still himself, but also something more, something terrifying. Sephiroth, clad in leather, stood majestic and bold behind him. The demigod's eyes shone like they always did, radiant, but they also swirled with madness and insanity; a twisted smirk was just starting to settle on his features. The man stood over his clone like a possessive owner, for that was all that the scene could be described as – Sephiroth _owning_ him, using him, manipulating him…

The silver haired man bent down a little and whispered something into the other Cloud's ear and his clone nodded, an abrupt, short motion that he could only describe as being automatic. The clone lifted his hand, its dull gaze not shifting, fixed, as though he were staring off into space. In its hand there was something shining, something glowing like… a materia. The Black Materia… Cloud recognized it immediately and his blood ran cold. This… wasn't real. It must be an illusion… some sort of trick to catch him off guard.

"Quit fooling yourself."

Cloud started at the words and spun around, but there was nothing there. The voice… it had sounded from right behind him… right in his ear… He spun back around and stared in shock at the Sephiroth who was still bent down to the fake Cloud, his mouth poised just at the clone's ear… _'What is… going on?'_ he thought, trying to gather his wits.

"You already know." The voice answered and, much to Cloud's horror, Sephiroth whispered something into his clone's ear just as the voice spoke. The voice was that of Sephiroth's…

'_No…'_ his mind whispered, his logic trying its best to contend with the lull in his brain and the feelings and the thoughts that weren't his own. These thoughts, the lulling voice… This was like… Fear's icy fingers gripped his heart… _'No!'_

"Yes!" the Sephiroth stated, lifting his head from the clone's ear. He put a possessive hand on the clone's shoulder and smirked a sadistic little smirk. "You are mine!" the tone left no doubt to the contrary. "You are mine. You are me… I **own** you."

His mind screamed out in defiance but already he could feel his will being drained away. _'No! I am not yours! I am Cloud Strife! Do you hear me? Cloud Strife!'_

"Cloud Strife is dead!" the silver haired man said, his words thundering in Cloud's ears like angry rain clouds. "And all that remains is a pathetic clone of me… A puppet meant to be used. You are not Cloud Strife… you never were, and never will be again."

'_No… I… it isn't true… is it? No! I am… I… I am…'_ The doubt swelled in his mind and soon he found himself pressing his palms to his temples, trying to drive out the thoughts and the doubts. Was this to happen to him once again? The more he thought about it, the more Cloud became afraid. Was he destined to be nothing but a puppet, used by people and thrown away when he was no longer convenient to own? Was Cloud Strife really dead forever? Was he…?

_-Cloud…-_

His eyes snapped open. Who was that? Whose voice was that?

_-Cloud!-_

Was that…? Zack? It was… That was Zack's voice!

_-Don't believe, Cloud! Trust your heart, not your mind! You can find the truth…-_

'_Zack… I can't fight… I'm weak… I can't…'_

_-Yes you can!- _That was someone else's voice. Not Zack but… Sephiroth? Was that Sephiroth's voice? It was but it was different… It was sane.

'_Seph?'_

_-Goddamn kid, quit thinking bad of yourself, you smartass! You know better than that!-_ Cid! It was Cid!

_-Pull it together man!-_ Barret? This one was Barret's voice.

_'I… I can't… I'm not strong enough. I've never been… strong enough…'_

_-Cloud, you led us into a hopeless battle and turned out a victory. What does that say about you? I wouldn't call that weak.-_ Nanaki, the logical one.

'_But I… I don't know if I can win this one…'_ Cloud cried out to the voices, looking for help, for support - any support.

_-Don't make me come over there and kick your butt, Spike! 'Cause you know I will!-_ Yuffie was always so full of energy and this voice was no different.

_-Oh Cloud, don't give in!-_ Tifa's voice, fragile but strong, something you didn't find in many people. -_I know you can do it!-_

_'But what if I can't? What if…?'_

_-There were many What If 's when we entered the Northern Crater, many more when we faced Sephiroth. 'What If' never happened. Stay true to yourself, my friend.- _That one, dark and mysterious, but familiar none the less. It was Vincent.

_-Be strong Cloud!- _Yet another voice, soft and light, it was Aeris.

His memories screamed at him one after another, each taking the form and voice of one of his friends. Each voice was their memory, Aeris's, Vincent's, Cid's, Tifa's, Seph's, and Zack's memories - all of them. They cried at him, as if to say, "don't forget us!" and he didn't want to. His memories were precious to him, his most prized possessions. These new voices, the ones that he recognized, they represented his memories… and they were fighting the darkness that threatened to consume him. Subconsciously, **he** was fighting it. _'But what if… I'm to weak…? What if I can't win? Is Sephiroth right? Am I not… the real Cloud? Is everything I've been living for until now… a lie?'_

Cloud fell to his knees, dropped his sword and pressed his hands against the sides of his head. Eyes squeezing shut, a scream was just beginning to crawl its way up his throat. He was so scared. _'I can't do it on my own! Zack! Anyone! Help me!'_

_-What's wrong Wonderboy? Can't handle your own problems?-_

Who was that?

_-Hmph, and here I thought you were better than that. Maybe I was wrong…-_

Was that… Reno? Was that Reno's voice? It was! But… why…?

_-Shut up and stop your whining. Zack can't help, Tifa can't help, I can't help, and Aeris can't help. No one can help you but yourself, so suck it up! If you don't do this on your own then your just letting that freak win.- _

_'But… I…'_

_-You really are dense, aren't you Wonderboy? Just stop thinking and start acting!-_

Slowly, ever so slowly, Cloud's internal struggle was coming to an end. The multitude of voices that rang in his mind were only distant thoughts, memories, and Cloud was imagining them all, he knew he was. But still, their voices helped… their words… helped. If this was the way his subconscious fought back against the darkness, then so be it… At least he could fight it, somehow…

_-Come on Cloud!-_ Sephiroth's voice insisted.

_-Go Cloud!-_ Aeris's memory cried out to him.

_-Show this guy your still you, Blue-Eyes!-_ Zack's thoughts encouraged him.

_-**Get up Wonderboy!**-_

Cloud steadily left his knees and began to stand at the silent command. His hands fell away from his head and he straightened to his full height, taking a deep inhale of fresh air. His mind cleared an instant later, the lull in his brain and the doubts just fading away. He turned his face to the sky and leisurely opened his eyes, cerulean oculars looking up into the late afternoon sky. _'Yes… I am Cloud Strife…'_

His gaze shifted down to his clone and then to the Sephiroth standing behind it.

"… And you are an illusion." The blond stated simply, grinning to himself in triumph. The image of the clone Cloud shifted, flickered and vanished. Sephiroth's face twisted into a look of rage before it, too, flickered and vanished. Cloud's grin expanded to an outright smile; he was damn proud of himself. Whoever said 'memories are nice, but that's all they are' was wrong. They were _his _memories, his real memories, and memories could fight back too…

Speaking of which, Cloud turned to Zack for the first time in a long while, expecting him to be back to normal now that the spell was broken. He was surprised to see that the dark haired SOLDIER wasn't back to normal. He was, in fact, even worse.

Zack was on his knees, covering his face with both his hands, muttering something like "Make it stop." He was shaking from head to toe and fear just radiated off of him, like a stink. Sephiroth, unconscious, lay at his side.

Cloud turned to Reno, who had not changed in stance much at all. The Turk was still standing were he'd been, frozen in place, but he was even paler now than he had been. His arms rested limp at his sides and open terror was written all over his face, his fingers only barely able to hold onto the nightstick that had nearly slid out of his grasp. Whatever he was seeing was scaring him down to the core, Cloud could tell.

"Hey, Reno! Zack! Snap out of it!" Nothing. "Come on guys, wake up!" He waved his hand in front of Zack's face. Nothing. Reno? Nothing. The blond then proceeded to stand his friend up and shake Zack stupid for a minute or two. This seemed to do no more than cause the dark haired SOLDIER to stop muttering. What was he to do? He didn't know how to handle these kinds of things and he was running out of ideas. He was the one usually in the situation, not handling it! He did, however, have one last shot left. "Well…" he said finally. "If this is what it takes…"

Cloud just hauled out and decked the unsuspecting SOLDIER in the jaw.

Zack realized two things all at once. The first was that whatever was happening to him wasn't real, and the second was that Cloud could punch awfully hard when he wanted to. He was sent onto sprawled onto his back in the same instant his senses came back to him, just barely missing the body of the sleeping demigod. And with his senses came an ache in his jaw that was already starting to bruise. The SOLDIER blinked in surprise, took a minute to re-adjust his reality, then climbed to his feet with the help of the very person who'd put him there in the first place.

"Thanks Cloud." Zack muttered, fingering the now purpling bruise. "Don't know what came over me… God I feel like crap, and it's not just the mako."

"Heh, don't worry about it. Nearly didn't make it myself…" he paused, then smirked at Zack. "Oh, and thanks."

Zack blinked. "For what?"

Cloud chuckled despite the situation. "Nothing." Then he finished with "Keep your eyes open, I don't think we're out of this yet…"

Turning to Reno Cloud got ready to deliver the same punch he'd just used on Zack. Then, remembering that he'd knocked Zack onto his back by accident he did something that would have surprised him had he realized he'd done it. He reached out to steady the Turk.

But stopped the moment he grabbed Reno's arm. Something flashed across his vision, across his mind, and with it came a sharp sting. In his mind he could see through Reno's eyes, see the thing that was scaring him so thoroughly – though, at that moment, he didn't understand what was happening. He could see Reno, whom appeared to be lying on some kind of operating table, sleeping. At the side of the table was another table, full to the brim with cutting tools and little colored vials. Every now and then along the rows one would catch sight of a needle containing an inky black substance.

And, to his own personal horror, that crazy bastard Hojo was standing over the unconscious Reno. The professor was holding a blood-spattered scalpel and cackling to himself in that ever-familiar way as he fiddled with the Turk's insides, rubber gloves stained red. The image was so real that Cloud actually thought he could _smell_ the mingling sensation of blood and mako.

Cloud immediately let go of Reno and jumped back. What the hell had just happened? Was Reno seeing that? Was that what the spell was making him witness? To be completely honest, that would scare anyone. After all, it had scared Cloud, hadn't it?

"Cloud, you all right?" Zack questioned, looking around before coming to the blond's side.

"Yea, yea… just give me a minute." The leader of AVALANCHE said, shaking off the feelings and walking back up to Reno with the intention of waking him from that godforsaken vision as soon as possible. Even Reno didn't deserve to see something like that…

And, like Zack, the Turk found himself coming to his senses on his back. The first thing he did was bring his hand to his face, tenderly feeling the throbbing bruise along his cheekbone, before he slowly shifted his eyes up to the blond warrior standing above him. The two shared a long look, jade meeting cerulean, before Cloud extended his hand to help the man up. Reno took it without question; still a little disoriented, he was practically hauled to his feet.

"You okay?" Zack asked as Reno stood. The red head waved him off, nodding and blinking the stars away from his eyes. Man, Strife could hit _hard_.

He had little time to ponder anything else.

"You bunch are just _full_ of surprises."

They all turned to face the voice, shock jumping down their spines at what they saw this time…

Hojo.

The obviously disturbed man was standing at the base of the debris pile, exactly where the visions had occurred, and his snake like features were twisted into a wide, gleeful grin. His appearance was relatively unchanged, though there were some differences. Where his skin had otherwise been pale and ghost-like, it was now rough looking and tinged with a sickly green. His shoulders still hunched forward, hands pushed into his coat's pockets; a lab coat that looked new and fresh, which lead one to wonder where he'd gotten it from and who. His long, greasy black hair was still pulled back in a messy ponytail and his beady eyes were still the same dark, nearly black things they used to be. Small, circular glasses rested at the bridge of his nose. He stood the same, looked the same, even smelt the same, a stench that reeked of Jenova and mako.

This was no illusion - this was real.

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**To Be Continued**

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_Author Notes:_

1. Again, sorry about the long delay. Things have just been hectic. Anyhow, about this chapter… hmm… I don't think I feel very good about the way I wrote it. They seem to jump around a lot, if you haven't noticed. From one place to another, you know? Oh well… Heh, I had a lot of fun writing Cloud's mental dialogue. Had to come up with a way to keep it from sounding as though he was the one saying it, you know? Even if it _was_ all in his head. Anyway, sorry about the kind of crappy writing, I'm not up to par to what I was a while ago. I'll get working on that immediately, so don't worry.

2. Got a lot of surprises coming up for you all in the next two or three chapters. How will everyone handle Sephiroth's presence? Can the past be put behind them? What is Hojo doing here and just why can Reno go into Sector two? Keep reading to find out!

3. Comments, criticism and reviews welcome and encouraged, as always. Thanks a bunch everyone! Love 'ya!


	9. Dark and Light, Opposing Forces

_Beginning Notes:_ Here I am, another update! Yay for me! Oh and… **HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters. I am not making money off this fiction. I only own my own creations ;;

_Chapter Warning:_ Language, Violence.

**Legend**

'_Comment(s) in Italics & apostrophes'_ –Thoughts / inner musings

_-Comment(s) in Italics & dashes-_ –Other mental voices

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**Complicated Souls**

Written by Isrea Ishiida

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**Chapter Nine**

Light and Dark, Opposing Forces

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"_We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job."_

_**-Sir Winston Churchill**_

**-**

**-**

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"Hojo!" Zack spat, loathing evident in his voice. He reached over and drew up the Buster Sword from the sheath on Cloud's back, brandishing it dangerously. "What rock did you crawl out from under?"

Beside him, Cloud could practically feel Reno tense at the sight of the crazed professor. He didn't blame him.

Hojo simply turned his attention to Zack for all of five seconds; long enough to say "Specimen Z. Interesting. And my son, I see." he added, looking down at Sephiroth with a gleam in his eyes that spoke of scheming. You could literally hear the wheels turning in his head before he shifted his beady eyes back to Cloud. The sinister little man's grin widened and he cackled gleefully, the same cackle Cloud had heard so many times before. "Specimen C." he stated, then turned his gaze to Reno. You could just see the way the scientist's eyes lit up when they fell upon the Turk – like a little boy on Christmas, he was.

This confused Cloud for a moment before he let the idea drop. There were more pressing things to worry about.

"And the boy, too. What a group you make." Hojo continued, pulling a hand free of a pocket and using his middle finger to push his glasses up to the bridge of his nose when they slipped a bit. He cackled insanely again.

"Shut up, bastard. What the fuck do you want?" Reno snapped, not one to be analyzed like a poodle at a dog show.

Hojo cackled again, an irritating, infuriating noise. "Specimens aren't supposed to talk back to their captor, Sinclair."

"No, they're supposed to scream, right?" Cloud asked sardonically before Reno could act, reaching down to pick up his Ultima weapon. Hojo merely chuckled at that.

"Why, of course."

Reno snarled, a barely contained fury seeping from his eyes. "Well guess fucking what, you crazed lunatic! We're not specimens for you to poke at, so I'll talk as much as I fucking want to!" His nightstick in one hand, Reno drew his handgun in the other and held the semi-automatic out at arm's length. Fixing his sight on Hojo, he fired half his clip at the sickly scientist and only stopped when he realized that his bullets weren't doing anything. They didn't even seem to reach the man. They simply stopped midair and floated there for a moment before dropping to the ground with a clatter. Taking a deep breath and calming himself, Reno snorted in contempt he didn't even try to hide. "Looks like you've learned some new tricks while you've been away." was all he said to the display.

"And you need to learn some manners, boy. Firing objects at people, really. It's no way to greet a man who knows your deepest secrets…" he grinned evilly. "Your mother was very cautious, wasn't she? So was your father… But I know now, and that's all that matters."

Realization sunk into Reno's brain and, for a moment, there was a bit of fear in his eyes. He recovered quickly, however, and shot a scornful glare at the scientist. "Bullshit." He growled out from between clenched teeth.

Hojo broke out into another cackle. Without taking their eyes off Hojo, Zack and Cloud exchanged looks.

The scientist smirked like a predator cornering its pray. "Oh but I do, dear boy. I know _what_ you are and I know _who_ you are. How I missed it for so many years surprises even me… But maybe that proves the _quality_ of the specimen then, hmm? I look forward to dissecting you!"

Reno visibly paled but didn't flinch, holding his ground as best he could. If anything, Hojo knew how to screw with people's minds.

"Enough crap!" Zack suddenly piped up, stepping forward and, to Cloud's surprise, in front of Reno. The SOLDIER held his weapon ready, his booted foot digging into the concrete in preparation. "Stop fucking with people's minds and just die."

Zack lunged. He didn't get far; that seemed to be happening a lot lately.

Fire erupted in a wall before them, heat radiating off the surface of the thing like a furnace. Zack was forced to skid to a stop to keep from hitting it, coming to stop just inches from the inferno. He backed up, unsure of the fire, and it was a good thing that he did. The fire was so hot that, had he attempted to plunge through it, he'd of been near incinerated.

The firewall shot out suddenly, traveling along the ground and to the edges of the street with incredible speed. Zack was the first to realize what was going on and grabbed Sephiroth's body and lunged for the edge of the street as fast as he could. Reno and Cloud caught on at the same time and darted in opposite directions, attempting to escape. Hojo was trying to trap them in a fire ring.

The fire sped along the ground and curved up the sides of the street. Even Zack, who had had a head start, barely had time to throw Sephiroth's unconscious body clear and through an already broken storefront window. Hoping that his friend had landed safely, Zack hadn't any more time to think on this, for the firewall had surrounded the three of them in ring of fire. They backed up and formed a tight circle, each careful to keep Hojo in their sights. Who knew what else this crazy bastard could do? After all he was apparently a Pyromancer now, had stopped bullets in mid air, and didn't seem like he was done yet.

"Step one, stay alive. Step two, kick his ass." Reno muttered to no one in particular. He was disheartened to find that the 'roadblock' that had previously cluttered the street was no longer in the street. Instead, Hojo was lifting his hands in the air and the debris that had been clumped together started floating into the air as well, each piece lifting like a well-placed Gravity spell.

The three shared a worried look when the debris entered the ring of fire and started spinning around them like a mini tornado. Even the fire started spinning, combining itself with the debris and transforming into a spinning vortex of death. They could see how hot the flames were just by looking. As soon as the objects entered the fire they melted and deformed into misshapen, unidentifiable clumps of molten goop. There was no chance of escape… They had to stand and fight.

"New tricks?" Zack asked Reno, watching the flaming objects with worry.

Reno simply nodded. "Yep."

"You going to be alright?"

"Yep."

"Sorry to interrupt." Cloud muttered, watching a specific spot in the fire. "But duck."

The Turk and the SOLDIER turned to Cloud and hit the floor as fast as they could. One of the goopy objects in the fire shot out at them suddenly, whizzing overhead and just barely missing them. They could feel the heat in the air, even more intense than the mako radiation, from where the thing had passed.

"Incoming!" the red head shouted, rolling sharply to his left to avoid another shot of the molten projectiles - Cloud and Zack barely rolled away in time. It splattered where the three of them had once been, sizzling and melting away the ground.

They jumped to their feet as a group and promptly hit the floor again simultaneously as another shot sprang from the fire, zooming over their heads. When they stood again they parted ways with only an exchanged glance and three respective nods. Each headed to a different part of the ring in an attempt to divert the attacks in different ways. They were hoping to give at least one person time to act. This failed, however, for instead of just one obstacle, the group was forced to contend with three. They jumped, ducked and dodged in their own different ways and finally, after five minutes of this, regrouped and sheathed their weapons – all but Zack, who chose to keep his.

By this time Hojo was having fun with this little game. He gave the three of them little time to act or to even think, hurling things at them one after another. At one point Cloud had nearly been crushed by a half molten frame of a truck, and Zack had missed being hit with what he suspected was a doorframe.

The three hit the ground again as a group. Cloud spoke fast, having to roll away again mid sentence to avoid another glob of goo. "Zack, your Contain materia, it-" Roll. Jump. Dodge. The three of them were in a different spot. "-Has a Tornado spell on it, right?"

They were forced to break apart again when a well-placed shot nearly caught Reno in the chest. The red head jumped back, startled at the unexpected attack, and had nearly fallen on his ass. With the mako radiation to deal with, his fall and the intense heat coming off the fire Reno felt like utter crap. Every time he moved he felt the potential loss of his lunch, and his body wasn't working to its full capacity. It was taking everything he had to simply stay alive!

"Yea, it does." Zack stated, diving to his right to avoid another molten fireball. He wasn't faring much better than Reno, they had to end this quick. "Why do you-" Another dive, tuck and roll. "-Want to know?" he finished as he sprang to his feet.

"Pass it here!"

Zack popped the little materia orb out of his bracer as he sprinted to the left, just barely getting out of the way of another attack. He ran right past Cloud, not bothering to stop, but simply tossed his friend the orb and continued going. From there it became like a game of hot potato for Cloud took off at a run a moment later, but was forced to drop to the ground to avoid another strike. He hit the ground harder than he'd intended and lost his grip on the small orb, which rolled away from him and landed at Reno's feet. The red head picked it up in the middle of a desperate sprint to avoid another of Hojo's molten attacks and tossed the thing to Zack, who was free of attack at the moment. The SOLDIER caught it and dived for the cement a moment later, deliberately throwing the Contain materia in Cloud's general direction while avoiding an attack he'd seen coming. It seemed Hojo was catching on…

Cloud picked the thing up and slipped it into his bracer, calling up the will for a spell. He spent longer than he probably should have building the spell but he didn't want to expend much energy or let Hojo in on his plan so he had to get it right on the first try. Luckily he was free of attack just long enough and "Tornado!" escaped his lips as the green orb flared to life, the magic forming as he'd planned.

A well-placed wind started to form inside the very wall of flame, connecting to itself and spinning rapidly against the current of the debris. The two forces fought each other for a long moment and Zack and Reno had time to relax while Cloud concentrated to keep the spell going. It was hard, the magic that sustained the wall of flame was incredibly strong and twice Cloud had thought he'd been beaten, only to call up some reserved well of energy to push into the spell. The end result was that the wind and the fire could no longer contend with each other and the spinning of the objects stopped, held in place by the opposing forces. They couldn't move, couldn't be hurtled at anyone, and the flames were weakening.

"Nice thinking." And exhausted looking and winded Reno complimented as he came up to stand by Cloud, patting the blond on the shoulder gratefully. Behind them, Zack was just picking himself up off the ground.

From within the wall of fire Hojo appeared, stepping through the inferno as though he didn't even feel the heat. He brushed a hand through his hair in a very non-Hojoi'sh way; his eyes alight with a sharp malice. A chill ran down all three of their spines as they watched him, and all of them were thinking the same thing at that very moment. Not Hojo… He _had_ been Hojo, but a change had come over the scientist. This wasn't Hojo anymore.

"So your more resourceful than I'd thought. No big deal, this is far from over…" Hojo said, still in Hojo's voice, but the tone was entirely different. There was no doubt in their minds that this new essence wasn't Hojo. It couldn't be.

Hojo, who was not really Hojo, held his hand out for the lot of them to see. Fire sparked around it, red crackling flame that flickered over his greenish tinted skin malevolently. Senses sharp, the three watched as he slowly bent down and slammed his fist into the ground, the thundering of the crack that resulted surprising them. There was more strength in that slam then there should have been…

The fire spilled off of the scientist's hand and fled into the ground, disappearing under the concrete. Then he stood up and stepped back, smirking. His hand was bare and surprisingly unharmed. When he looked back at them he was Hojo again, sick mind and all, that familiar gleam of sadistic pleasure in his eyes.

Reno frowned. He'd seen something like this before… What was it? He couldn't quite remember but he knew it was there, something important that he was missing. This frustrated him for his memory was usually flawless, perfect and photographic. He could have recalled every moment of every day of his life with perfect clarity, so why the fuzziness now? Oh yea, he'd hit his head. Stupid fall…

When nothing happened for several seconds Cloud and Zack exchanged a glance. They were unsure of what to expect and this drawn out pause wasn't doing anything more than letting them rest. Was Hojo letting them have a break?

Suddenly Reno's memory snapped into focus and the red head said "Oh Fuck!" before he looked down.

Cloud and Zack had barely enough time to turn and look at Reno before they found themselves being pushed by the Turk and thrown back a few feet from where they'd been standing. As they caught themselves the first thing they saw was the ground bursting open at the red head's feet and a column of fire erupting out of the concrete. The last they saw of Reno he was calling up a spell from a materia on his bracer before the Turk disappeared behind a wall of red flame, engulfed by the attack. Long moments passed in agonizing anticipation and, when finally the fire died, the two were relieved to find the Turk fine save the singes on his clothing. The last traces of an Mbarrier spell faded from around him.

"Damn, reminds me of heartburn." The red head said a moment later, a grin placing itself on his face. He dusted himself off dramatically and stepped down from the mound of upturned concrete slowly, carefully. "Here's a hint, watch where you step. This whole area's a fricken minefield. One wrong move and we'll be using you as charcoal." He informed.

"Don't think you'll have much of a choice." Hojo stated suddenly and they all once again turned to face their enemy. The stranger within Hojo's body chuckled manically. "You let your guard down."

Zack's scream of pain caused Cloud and Reno to realize what was going on. They turned to him and found that the dark haired man was falling forward, the material of his SOLDIER uniform burning away as a molten goo clung to his back and even now ate away at his skin, burning with intensity. The ring of fire had started up again, the wind spell beaten because Cloud had taken his mind off of maintaining it.

Reno dumped out the materia from his pockets, threw off his jacket in a hurry and tossed it to Cloud, who grabbed it out of the air and immediately caught his friend. He wiped away the burning substance with one swift motion of the jacket, leaving Zack's back exposed to the heat of the air before throwing the material from his hands. He barely had time to do that before he was forced to pull the SOLDIER to him and dive away to avoid another shot of the molten liquid, saving both their lives.

Reno was right there to meet them, a hand full of materia and muttering a cure spell. The magic shot from his bracer into Zack, curing the burning as best he could with a Cure2 spell while rolling to avoid getting hit himself. He ended up next to his sizzling Turk jacket, which had a huge hole in it now and was not going to make it. Casualties - one. Reno pouted.

Cloud and Zack had made it to their feet finally and Zack took a moment to orient himself. Still in a bit of pain but able to ignore it now, he would be able to handle himself again. Zack's focus came back to him nearly right away, not one to stay down for long. Sensing immediate danger he had almost no chance to react to the fiery molten ball of junk flying at them, sprinting away to avoid yet another shot. He really didn't know if he had it in him to handle another hit like that - not in his current condition.

Luckily Cloud jumped away just in time to avoid the blast, but unfortunately stepped on one of the 'mines' Reno had been talking about. The blond started as the ground under him exploded, a column of fire roaring to life around him. He hastily called up an Mbarrier of his own but was too late in doing so, the flames licking at his clothing and catching on his skin. He grit his teeth against the searing pain as the fire ripped through his body and forced himself to call the barrier up as fast as he could, efficiently blocking out the rest of the attack before it had a chance to incinerate him. The barrier pushed back the fire but shook violently, giving way just as the last traces of the attack disappeared, shattering into magical pieces. When the column died he stumbled from the center of it and fell to his knees, narrowly avoiding the strike of another glob of melted steel because he did.

He had no time to relax for he found himself instinctively pushing himself up and to the right to dodge another attack, the liquid splashing across the concrete and sizzling ominously. His body screamed at him and his skin burned, the heat of the fire still lingering in his flesh. No chance for a cure spell, unfortunately. He just had to deal with it.

-

Over on Reno's end the Turk was caught in a moral and mental debate. Having watched the object of his desire nearly come to an end in a column of fire, the Turk was promptly forced to admit, in the middle of a sprint from danger, that there was really no helping the choice he was faced with. None of them even had a chance to attack Hojo, simply running for their lives to stay alive. There was no break, no pause; no opening that would give them at least a moment to fire off a spell at the bastard… If he didn't do this now they'd all end up dead…

But, if he did… Reno didn't know if he could handle the consequences…

Maybe they wouldn't catch on?

So caught up in his own inner musings the Turk failed to notice the misshapen shot of molten liquid that came hurtling toward him at break neck speeds. He was lucky though, for he'd decided to move just then and when he got hit by the blast it only caught him in the leg, searing through cloth and skin and burning into his flesh. The red head let out a half choked scream as he fell onto his side, going to clutch at his leg only to stop himself from doing so. He grit his teeth and practically ripped off his shirt as fast as he could, using it to wipe the molten goo from his flesh before throwing the burning cloth from him. Casualties – two. He pouted again, if only to try and ignore the intense pain.

"RENO!"

He looked up sharply at Cloud's call, rolling away as another attack came at him and splattered where he used to be. Coming to his feet the Turk was forced to lean as much of his weight as he could on his good leg, but even that didn't help. The moment he put pressure on his injured leg it gave out and he would nearly collapse. _'Fucking leg. Fucking fall. Fucking Hojo. This isn't my day…'_

He was suddenly tackled to the ground as another blast screamed overhead, barely missing him and his savior by a foot. It wasn't until the person sat up that he realized it had been Cloud who'd just saved his life. What got Reno was that the blond was straddling him, his knees on either side of the red head's hips and Cloud's heavy sword's pressing their bodies against each other. Had this been any other situation Reno would have found that extremely arousing. As it was, he had a hard time suppressing the mental pictures.

"Pay attention!"

The blond was fuming at him, about to get up and stand when Reno noted, over the blond's shoulder, another attack coming at the pair. He did the first thing anyone in his or her right mind would have done. He pressed Cloud to him and rolled.

After he'd heard the splash of liquid on concrete and the sizzle of heat, Reno was going to stop the movement, intent on getting up and leaving Cloud to his own devices. Instead, he found himself pushing the roll even farther, seeing as they'd rolled onto another 'fire mine.' The duo barely made it as, together, they rolled out of the way of another pillar of flame that burst through the ground. The heat from the blast nearly blistered Reno's exposed skin.

When they finally came to a stop Reno paused at the situation he'd thrown himself into, blinking. The red head was sitting between the other man's legs, lying on top of him, without a shirt on. There was a second in which the awkwardness registered in the Turk's mind before he snapped to attention and moved to get up-

Only to have Cloud hug him and roll, copying the motion that Reno had just used to avoid yet another attack. Something against Reno's chest jabbed Cloud, something round like a materia, but he didn't have time to think about that. When the dodge was complete, Cloud and Reno found themselves in the same position they'd just been in, the blond warrior straddling the red head. The two jumped apart as fast as they could, though not entirely for the same reasons.

In Cloud's mind nothing strange had happened at all. They'd just saved each other's lives and then jumped apart to break the cycle, hopefully gaining some kind of ground.

In Reno's mind, however, things were entirely different. He'd just been pressed up against _Strife_ and had had the man _straddling_ him. The thought sent heat to all the wrong places and he'd jumped away only to keep himself in the right state of mind to be fighting for his life. Reno shook his head to clear it of all the wrong kinds of thoughts. This was **not** the time. No, this was the time for action - his action, more specifically. _'But they'll… and Hojo…'_

The image of a brown haired, green-eyed woman in pink appeared at the forefront of his mind. She smiled at him, holding a basket of flowers in her hands. Reno's eyes narrowed and he frowned darkly, the decision made.

"Strife." He said suddenly, hitting the ground in a duck to avoid another shot before scrambling to his feet awkwardly. "I need your help!" loath as he was to admit it.

Cloud blinked as he jumped back to avoid another strike, throwing out his arms to balance him. "What?"

Reno cautiously made his way over to Cloud, meeting Zack about half way. So they were re-grouping, huh? Good. As the two came up to the blond the three of them ducked in unison, narrowly avoiding yet another zooming blast that went flying over their heads. "I need to get to Hojo. I think I know how to stop this lunatic, but I can't do it alone. My-" they all sprang to their feet and jumped back again, dodging another blast, before putting their backs to each other and forming a tight circle. "-Leg's fucked, I won't be able to get to him in one piece."

"What do you have in mind?" The blond asked, eyes shifting back and forth in look out for an attack, prepared to warn them should anything come his way.

"Jump!" Zack suddenly commanded. They all did so, leaping into the air as a blast was flung along the ground in attempt to take out their legs. Unfortunately for Hojo, they kept their legs in tact thanks to Zack's warning.

"Just trust me!" Reno said, looking around swiftly. "Just make sure I get to him in one piece. That's all I need!"

Free of attack for a split moment, Zack and Cloud exchanged a nod and Zack turned to Reno. "Ready when you are."

"Go!" The red head commanded.

The three of them took off at a run toward Hojo, who was standing lazily at the edge of the fire barrier, leisurely enjoying his little game. He didn't look worried when the party started at him, figuring they wouldn't get too far. So they were working together now, big deal. They hadn't shown nearly enough teamwork to be able to defeat his trap yet, so he wasn't concerned.

Had he seen the determined glint in their eyes, maybe he would have thought better of that.

Pushing himself beyond the pain, Reno called up all the energy he could from the depths of his body, adrenaline pumping through his veins. The thought that this might be their last chance spurred him onward, made him endure the throbbing, burning ache in his leg and pushed him forward. But there was something else there too, a thought that made him continue when before he would have retreated. _'I will not be a coward any more!'_

Every few feet he stepped on a fire mine, though he was moving much to fast for the attack to do more than ignite behind him, a stream of fire in his wake; or he'd stop just before one as it lit, jumping back when he noted the mine about to go off and narrowly keeping himself whole. Cloud and Zack matched his stride easily, the three of them ducking, dodging and avoiding every obstacle Hojo threw at them. Together they warned each other of approaching danger, saved each other as needed and continued forward. It was hard, but it wasn't impossible. Such was the case when, like Reno had predicted, his leg couldn't take the strain any more.

Skidding to a stop before he ran smack into the middle of a shot of molten goo that was coming straight at him, Reno shifted to try and dodge around it, leaning his weight to the wrong side in his haste. A muffled "Oof" escaped him as his leg gave out, causing the red head to loose all sense of balance and fall. Zack was right there to pick him back up again, however, just tackling him out of way with his shoulder and sending the two of them out of harms way.

They landed on a fire mine, unfortunately. Neither had a chance to respond fast enough to the threat, not able to call up a barrier or get out of the way in time, but it didn't matter, Cloud had them covered. The blond invoked a spell and the familiar Mbarrier formed around the pair's bodies, a dome of light that sprang from under their feet and connected over their heads. They could see the fire as it roared around them, pushed off course by the protective magic, and like before the dome broke under the stress just as the fire attack finished, just barely able to stand up to the heat. As soon as the light died they started off again, Cloud joining them but hanging back to keep his distance.

Reno stumbled at first but pushed the pain away, keeping his gait steady. They only had one shot at this after all. If he failed he'd have no energy left to try again, and they'd all probably be fucked. Internally he mused on the fact that the three of them worked together so well. They could read each other's moves without words and knew what they were doing and why. Each motion coincided with someone else's move, like chess pieces they crossed the board, protecting each other. Maybe they'd make it out of here alive after all? Who knew?

A problem arose to complicate things when Hojo realized they were getting closer and that their level of teamwork had suddenly skyrocketed.

Hojo's face contorted into a twisted look of anger as the three started closing the gap between them, making it past the halfway mark and continuing. He realized they had something planned in that moment and narrowed his eyes. Obviously the plan revolved around the red head with the way they protected him, Hojo mused, so… '_If you take out the center, the rest cannot hold the balance…'_ He lifted his hand high into the air.

For a moment the ring of fire stopped moving, the spinning slowing and ending until the fire became a simple barrier, the debris floating in place. Zack and Cloud exchanged another concerned glance as they pressed onward, cautious about this new change.

Reno really didn't have enough conscious thought to notice. He needed to focus his remaining energies into what he was about to do so he'd shut down everything, turning his attention inward rather than outward, and begun to focus. The only thing he kept himself doing was running forward, barely aware of when he needed to save himself. This was going to be the hard part on Cloud and Zack; he hoped they were up for it.

Just as they reached attacking distance of Hojo every single object within the fire barrier shot out of the flame at once, hurtled at them with the speed of a bullet. The dozens of objects formed a death circle that quickly tightened into a noose, leaving the three little to no option aside of dodging. It was like a wall, black and inky and on fire as it closed in on them. Reno had enough sense to stick close to Cloud and Zack while he gathered his strength but he knew that if he was to complete the process, he couldn't help. That made him shudder for, if they failed… the red head didn't want to think about it.

There was little time to think on their options and even less to execute them, but Cloud and Zack exchanged yet another look. Both were thinking the same thing, and Zack made a slight swishing motion with his hand in question. Cloud grinned. They knew how to handle a death ring like this.

"Tornado!"

"Ice3!"

Both spells lit up at the exact same time, Cloud's high-powered wind spell and Zack's ice fusing together within a split second as the two called up the magic. What resulted was that an ice storm formed around the three of them, the eye of the tornado calm but the outside absolutely full of chaos. Within the wind spiraled sub-zero temperatures the likes of which a Tundra couldn't compete with, frost forming that one could see and feel, the cold actually dropping the temperature of the area dozens of degrees. Their breath came out in white puffs of smoke and Reno, who wasn't properly clothed, actually felt a chill.

But the best part was that the 'molten attacks' froze the moment they hit the wall of frost and wind, crystallizing instantly into shining black and white, frosted over clumps. The debris caught in the wind and began to spiral out of control - well, out of Hojo's control, at least. The things circled around the trio before Cloud turned to Hojo, gave a sadistic little grin, and started firing off frozen debris at the scientist. It was easy to do so for it only needed a slight change in the wind pattern and a little extra energy.

Hojo raised his hand and narrowed his eyes, the debris stopping in mid air at his silent command. Held back by an unknown force they came together, one after another the icy shots stopped, forming a wall before him and Hojo used the ones he had as a barrier. Cloud did not relent, sending waves of the debris crashing into the floating barrier Hojo had made, each attack exploding into millions of shining splinters. When he was finished nothing was left but thousands upon thousands of little shards that littered the ground at Hojo's feet, the debris completely destroyed and the wall gone.

That was the least of Hojo's worries, however.

Out of nowhere Reno appeared, charging the mad scientist with his arms held out at his sides, palms open. In his hands sparked an eerie blue-white light that pulsed and around his neck shone a materia, bound by a silver chain. It was the strangest thing he'd ever seen, the peculiar little orb, and it glowed with the force of a brilliant star, illuminating itself within a pale nimbus of light. Even Cloud and Zack were surprised by this turn of events, though only one of them recognized the glow and neither could see the materia. Cloud's eyes widened considerably.

The next thing Hojo knew the Turk was coming down at him from a jump, planting his knees on the scientist's chest and slamming his hands onto the man's face, pushing the man over. The only thing he could see of Reno as he landed on his back, past the Turk's fingers and the white light, were his eyes, glowing a bright green that shone the same as the Lifestream. They were glaring at him, hate-filled and loathing, and they struck fear into something deep within Hojo's mind, like a far away thought, a distant essence that knew what was to come.

Energy streamed from the red head's fingertips, radiant white and blue light that seared and burned into the professor's flesh, scarring the tissue and burning away muscle. A bubbling, pain-laced scream clawed its way from the scientist's throat and escaped into the air as the energy flooded his body and traveled through the man's very veins like white fire. Light began to form under his skin, small and large dots that painted the green tinted layers and moved like stars, attempting to escape through his very pores. The feeling was of such intensity that, had Hojo not already been insane, the feelings would have driven his human mind mad.

"Eat this you son of a bitch!" the red head growled, forcing every ounce of his energy into his attack. This made the white light flare even brighter and the flame that ran through Hojo's body heighten in intensity. Another scream escaped the scientist's mouth and Reno grinned, almost sadistically delighted in the pain the crazed madman was going through.

The tides turned all to suddenly. Before Reno could understand what was going on Hojo's hands came up and caught his wrists, gripping them with such strength that it threw the red head off guard. The scientist's fingers dug into his flesh and drew blood with his nails, the red liquid spilling over the edges of his arms. Reno winced but held fast to his victim.

Then, from the fingertips of his opponent, darkness and shadow spewed forth much like the energy Reno was still pumping into Hojo's body. It crawled up the red head's arms like the long legs of a spider, leaving a numb and cold feeling in their wake. It attempted to douse the light that shone from his hands and for long moments Reno struggled against the invading darkness, putting as much fight into it as possible. But in the end the shadows consumed him and the two were surrounded in a pitch-black world that made the red head's blood run cold. He could hear his name being called, from Zack or Cloud he couldn't tell, but that was the last he knew of them.

Reno wasn't entirely sure what happened next and probably never would be, but it happened quickly and it happened hard; pain exploding in his chest like someone had impaled him through the middle. It made him gasp and gag for air, though no scream was imminent. His hold on the energy he had slipped and fell away and he lost almost all of it before he was strong enough to grasp it again, the magic sliding through his fingers.

Outside this dark world Zack and Cloud looked on in worry. Neither of them understood what was happening; all they knew was that suddenly Reno and Hojo had been covered by inky black nothingness and their bodies had just become near shapeless forms of darkness – shadows of them. They could see every motion made by the two, every time Reno winced and even when he buckled forward in what they could only assume to be a silent gasp.

Zack immediately went to the two's sides and attempted to grab at Reno, only to sharply recall his hands when the darkness sparked at him like an electrified fence. Cloud joined him but there was nothing either could do.

"Take him when they get out of this, whatever happens." Cloud said suddenly, stepping back a bit and readying his sword.

Zack did the same, drawing his Buster Sword, a look of concern on his features. "Right. Whether or not Reno won, we have a chance. Hojo won't be expecting it… I hope…"

The darkness receded all at once, startling the two warriors into preparing themselves. Reno and Hojo were in sight for about half a second before the red head was blown off of the scientist in an explosion of darkness that sent the young man flinging through the air like a rag doll, unconscious. Cloud went to work immediately, slamming his huge Ultima weapon down and into the abdomen of the scientist, bringing forth yet another scream from the man. It sliced the scaly, and now that they could see him up close he really was covered in what one could consider snake scales, lunatic in two, about an inch of flesh on his left side the only thing keeping him in one piece. The Ultima weapon cut cleanly through his bones and ripped through the man's spine with ease, the crunch audible. Blood flowed freely out of the open wound and escaped the man's mouth, flooding his throat and cutting off another scream that turned into a bubbling groan.

Without warning Cloud was blown back by an explosion of darkness. He was sent skidding back several feet before he slammed his sword into the ground and used it as an anchor, stopping himself mid-flight.

Zack used this time to launch his own sword down, attempting to sever Hojo's head from his shoulders and end this. The Buster Sword smashed against an invisible wall and Zack found himself flying through the air as he, too, was launched back. Nimbly landing on his feet after doing a backwards, airborne flip the SOLDIER turned back just in time to see Hojo crawling swiftly away from them, fleeing in the opposite direction on his hands and knees. _How_ he did so was beyond both men but he did it, finally getting to his feet and standing up a ways down the road.

What shocked both men was that he could stand, and that his spine was somehow in tact when he did so. The muscle and tissue was still sliced cleanly through the middle and one could see through him when they looked at it, blood soaking through the white fabric that clung desperately together. Even so, the spine was whole and kept him upright. What confused them even more was that, with all the muscles cut, Hojo couldn't possibly be moving his lower half. It was impossible but somehow he just _was_. Hojo was defying the laws of… everything!

He turned to them, sneered, and then he was gone. His presence faded from their senses all at once and had Cloud been anyone else he would have questioned the fact that Hojo might still be lurking. Cloud knew better than that. Hojo was gone and he wouldn't be back for a while. How he'd left or even how he was still alive was beyond him, but the fact that he was gone was enough for now.

Turning he moved back to see if Reno was all right. He found Zack already at the red head's side but Cloud joined him anyway. Anything he might have owed the Turk had already been paid back in kind, but still, without him they probably wouldn't have survived this strange encounter, averse as he was to admit it. Might as well see if the guy was okay, right?

Reno was on his back and half in Zack's arms, his face turned to the side. His features were calm, not drawn in pain or anger or arrogance, and for a moment Cloud was struck with a thought. He'd never actually seen the man calm – at least, not a calm that wasn't forced. He looked so different like that it was scary. Three times now the Turk had surprised him, through deed or expression, and Cloud was hit with a sudden realization. He really didn't know anything about Reno. He'd always assumed that he understood the other man, but in truth, he understood absolutely nothing at all. And, when one comes to a realization like that, they start to wonder. Unfortunately, that thought brought him back to what had just happened. No, he really _didn't_ know anything about Reno. He made it a mental note to find out, however.

"Is he alright?" Cloud asked as he plopped down beside the SOLDIER.

"Red's a tough kid, he'll be fine." Zack stated simply, nodding to himself. "From… _whatever_ happened there seems to be no external or internal injuries. He's just unconscious – probably over-exerted himself."

Cloud snorted and folded his arms over his chest. "Speaking of which, what the fuck was all that back there?" he muttered. "The glowing and the light? What the heck is up with this guy? First he waltzes into a mako-induced sector without **dying** and then he goes and pulls some amazing attack and passes out? And why the heck was Hojo so interested in him? If you ask me, it sounds like he's some damned…"

The leader of AVALANCHE frowned as something caught his eye. Leaning over a bit, Cloud noted the little silver chain around the red head's neck. Whatever was hanging on the end of it had slid around the back of the chain and was now hidden by the Turk's shoulder. Curious, Cloud reached over and pulled the ornament around to the front of the chain. He nearly dropped the thing when he realized what it was.

The audible hiss of Cloud sucking in air made Zack look up. In the blond's hand rested a White materia, its pleasantly glowing surface a mix of blue and white that spiraled and collided together like a smoke, twisting until the colors became one and parted again somewhere else. It continued to glow merrily for a moment longer before the glow died and the crystal walls became a solid, pale white.

"… Ancient." Cloud finished, awe in his tone as the whole experience clicked together. "The resistance to mako poisoning, the light, the materia, Hojo… It all fits together. Reno's an ancient!" the blond uttered, stunned at the sudden revelation. Then something else clicked and he turned to Zack, the awe leaving his face. "And you knew, didn't you? You knew that Reno was an ancient, and that's why you didn't try to stop him or wonder why he could come into the sector. You already knew."

"Listen, Cloud." Zack began. Setting Reno back down and taking the chained white materia from his friend's hand, he set it down were it belonged – with Reno. "I couldn't say anything because I promised Reno I wouldn't, and now you have to swear not to say anything, too." When the blond looked ready to argue, Zack fell into the no-nonsense tone that clearly said he wasn't kidding when he spoke. "Cloud, Reno's secret will stay a secret, do you understand me? He's spent his whole life guarding it, and I'm not about to let you ruin everything he's worked so hard to keep."

It was true that Cloud understood the severity of being an ancient, and the risks, but to keep it from his friends – his comrades? Did Reeve know? But then again… it was Reno's affair, not his to meddle in.

"Cloud… please." Zack prompted after a moment and the blond turned to look at him. Their eyes locked, green on blue, and they silently searched each other's gazes for a long moment. Cloud made up his mind then.

"I won't say anything to anybody, I promise. But I'm not going to act as though I don't know, so when he wakes up I want some answers." He conceded.

This seemed to appease Zack for he breathed a sigh of relief and handed Cloud his Buster Sword. "Good. Now, I'm going to get Seph and then we can get the hell out of here." The SOLDIER said, smiling to himself and then to Cloud when he stood. "We should have enough strength to get out of here now, what with the extra adrenaline still running through us. I wouldn't be surprised if we have enough last ditch energy in us to run the whole way back to the gates." Turning, he began to pick his way into the store that he'd thrown Sephiroth's body into, pushing aside a large girder to get into the doorway.

Standing, Cloud sheathed both swords and chuckled when his friend re-appeared with the uninjured Sephiroth over one shoulder. "If Hojo did anything, he ensured our survival." The blond said, feeling a bit better than he had previously. Now that he knew what was going on with Reno and after venting all of his anger and frustration on Hojo, he could think a bit more clearly. He still had questions, however. Reno had done something no ordinary ancient was capable of doing – even the Cetra couldn't harness energy like that. There was something more to this picture than met the eye. Cloud wanted to know what.

"No kidding." Zack mused as he walked over. "Came to kill us and ended up saving us." When he looked down at Reno he frowned. Zack held out his arm and cast a Cure3 spell on the Turk, successfully getting rid of most of the damage handed to the red head before picking him up. Shifting his weight he shouldered Reno and started off at a brisk jog, Cloud not far behind him. Luckily the path was clear now and from here on out the travel would be easy. At least, as easy as a mako-induced sector and a pair of tired warriors carrying three times their normal weight could handle, anyway. The only thing that loomed before them was the encampment and the pending disaster awaiting them.

Vacantly, Zack hoped that Captain Gartain was still as reasonable a man as he remembered.

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**To Be Continued—**

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_Author's Notes:_

1. I have to wonder, did anyone see that coming? Reno being an ancient, I mean. I tried to hint at it, but I also wanted to keep it a secret until it happened, you know? I kind of like this chapter despite it being pretty fast paced. Maybe that's a good thing though? Hmm, what do you all think? Did I rush things too much? Oh well.

2. I know the White materia is supposed to be green, but I honestly think that it WAS actually white before they summoned holy. In the game it depicted it as green, but I wonder if it was only because putting a white spot in Aeris's hair would make the sprite look weirder than it already was? You know, WHITE materia and all… Bah, oh well. I'm keeping it white anyway. :P

3. As always, criticism and reviews are welcome, though I don't think I get as much criticism as I would like. Keep sending those reviews though, good or bad, because I'm going to keep writing 'till you all tell me to stop. Might not even then:P


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